MaddowBlog-Trump and his allies pitch a new idea: Maybe higher gas prices aren't 'bad news'

[LetMyPeopleVote]

We’ve reached the point at which the president wants consumers to be glad they’re paying more at the pump.

Trump, in late October: “With the Democrats, you’ll be paying , , and a Gallon.”

Trump, today, as gas prices approach the levels he warned about five months ago: “When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.”

If Dems are lucky, the White House will keep pushing this line.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-12T16:48:06.117Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-and-his-allies-pitch-a-new-idea-maybe-higher-gas-prices-arent-bad-news

It was against this backdrop that the Republican president rolled out a very different kind of message on Thursday morning. Just 17 weeks after he wrote, “Under President Trump, ME, Gasoline will come down to approximately $2 a Gallon,” Trump tried selling Americans on the opposite message.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump wrote.

Yes, we’ve reached the point at which the president wants consumers to be glad they’re paying more at the pump.

As a substantive matter, the problem with Trump’s claim is that the word “we” was doing a lot of work in his sentence. It’s true that the United States is producing a lot of oil, and it’s also true that higher prices help generate oil industry profits. But since the number of Americans who benefit from oil industry profits is very small, few will likely celebrate the hit to their wallets.

Complicating matters, Trump isn’t alone on this. Kelly Loeffler, head of the Small Business Administration, downplayed the importance of rising gas prices in a podcast interview this week. And on Thursday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright appeared on Fox News and pushed a line that was eerily similar to the president’s: “Fortunately, the United States, we produce more oil than we can consume; we’re a net oil exporter. So overall for the U.S. economy, this isn’t bad news.”

This is a message that Republicans will continue to embrace in the coming weeks and months if Democrats are extremely lucky.

[Attilatheblond]

1. we won't just be paying more at the pump

Truckers have to pay more to deliver FOOD to stores. That prevents the whole 'affordability' Trump ran on and has since discounted as a hoax.

People have to refrigerate and cook food, and those costs will go up. That prevents the whole 'affordability' Trump ran on and has since discounted as a hoax.

The 'good' thing is Trump sees us peasants paying more taxes of fuels and he thinks that means he improved the economy because those taxes, like the taxes he calls tariffs, means more $ in the treasury for him to divvy up with his ultra rich buds in the forms of tax cuts and government contracts for him and them.

More stealing from the poor to give to the richest.
Once again, I quote a very smart immigration attorney I recently got to hear speak: "Fuck that guy!"

[multigraincracker]

2. Even the uneducated, the largest part of his base

will figure that out.

[Attilatheblond]

7. Some will figure it out. Sadly, it is likely some will insist 'it started with Biden'

There is a percentage of people who just won't deal with reality and will always, ALWAYS blame Democrats for everything.

[La Coliniere]

3. "We"?

WE know who “we” is…and it ain’t us. However, his moronic idiot supporters will believe he’s talking about them…”he means our retirement accounts will reflect those profits!”
Eff off pedo prez, just go eff off you insane depraved imbecile.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. The number of Americans who benefit from oil industry profits is ... not large. ‪Aaron Rupar‬ ‪@atrup

The word "we" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

The number of Americans who benefit from oil industry profits is ... not large.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-12T13:19:28.397Z

[Attilatheblond]

8. But Trump & company only take those few into consideration

He really seems to think if THEY are doing OK, things are going along as they should. The rest of us are just ore to be mined.

[lame54]

5. I'm lovin' it...

A loan to fill my tank
Down to 2 meals a day
Can't wait till I'm homeless
Trump will lead the way

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. Could you imagine what MAGA or Fox News would say if Biden said this?

[MustLoveBeagles]

12. I don't have to imagine

He would've been hammered relentlessly.

[Liberal In Texas]

9. EV dealers might. n/t

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. Trump's oil boast has cringing industry execs running for cover: report

The only entities making money due to higher oil and gas prices are the US oil companies. Regular people are NOT benefiting from higher oil and gas prices. trump's attempt to spin the benefits of higher gas and oil prices are pissing off the oil companies who really do NOT want US consumers to focus on the fact that they are paying for these oil companies' excess profits and earnings.

Trump's boastful Truth Social post about oil industry profits has created an embarrassing moment for energy executives who desperately want those windfall gains to remain out of public view.

— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-03-13T20:36:06Z

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-oil-2676098825/

Trump's boastful Truth Social post about oil industry profits has created an embarrassing moment for energy executives who desperately want those windfall gains to remain out of public view.

As crude oil prices settled around $95 per barrel—far above the industry's preferred $60 threshold—Trump declared on Truth Social: "The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money."

The post crystallizes an uncomfortable reality for oil companies: they are profiting handsomely from war-driven price spikes while consumers face soaring gas prices at the pump. Since the Iran war began, crude prices have surged nearly $30 per barrel or more. Oil executives now face a public relations nightmare.

"The idea that the industry profits from war and death is not one a VP of public relations wants to promote," said Mark Jones, political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.

Industry sources reacted with dismay. "Oh, boy...." one oil executive responded when shown Trump's post.

Trump's statement feeds directly into public perception that oil companies are deliberately gouging consumers. Another industry official, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the damage: "This highlights the complicated relationship the oil industry has with the president. There is also some notion that the oil and gas industry secretly works to raise prices, which is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the industry works."

[Initech]

11. Can we please tell the psycho to go blow it out his ass already?