Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday offered a verbal shoulder shrug when “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker confronted him on whether Americans should prepare to pay $5 a gallon for gas, a stark difference from his earlier forecasts.
“Look, again, I can’t predict the price of energy in the short term or even the medium term,” said Wright, who told Welker in mid-March there was a “very good chance” gas prices would drop below $3 a gallon by the summer. He continued by remarking on President Donald Trump’s Iran war, “But what we’re doing is ending a 47-year conflict...” After Welker noted that he wasn’t ruling out the possibility of people paying $5 a gallon at the pump, Wright claimed he was “just avoiding price predictions.”
Gas Prices Surge Amid Conflict
Gas prices have surged by 50% since Trump launched his unpopular war, with the national average reaching $4.52 a gallon on Sunday, per AAA. The risk of gas prices hitting $5 a gallon, analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. noted on Friday, “can no longer be dismissed” as refiners look to prioritize the production of jet fuel. The analysts wrote that the “timing could hardly be worse” with the approaching Memorial Day holiday.
Wright’s Shifting Forecasts
Wright has continued to put mileage on his initial outlook on gas prices as the war drags on. Last month, he suggested to CNN’s Jake Tapper that prices at the pump may not go below $3 a gallon again “until next year.” “Certainly with a resolution of this conflict, energy prices will go down,” he added. Trump later declared that Wright’s assessment was “totally wrong,” telling The Hill’s Julia Manchester that prices would come down “as soon as this ends.”
Elsewhere in his interview with Welker, Wright noted that once there’s a “free flow of traffic” through the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices will go down as a result. He said the administration was “open to all ideas” on ways to lower gas prices, including hitting pause on the 18-cent federal gas tax.
Criticism on Social Media
Critics slammed Wright for suddenly passing on gas price predictions, including one social media user on X who pointed to the energy secretary’s “rosy prediction” on March 8 that they’d be below $3 a gallon “within weeks.” Another variation of “short term pain for long term gain” was noted, referencing Trump’s tariff promotion. Others questioned the administration’s claims of ending a 47-year conflict, with some stating that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that no deal has been reached.
One user remarked, “Not one word about what they’re actually trying to do to help the American people or the economy. Apparently 47 years of a nonexistent conflict is more important.” Another highlighted that gas is already at $4.52, while a driver reported nearly $6 per gallon.
