Trump team struggles to spin soaring gas prices as panic sets in
MS NOW
0:01 and I've got to start with some huge ne reporting from The Wall
0:03 Stre Journal that has just come out in the last day.
0:06 And guys this is exclusive reporting
0:08 from inside of the Trump administration tonight.
0:11 The journal is reporting that quote
0:13 privately President Trump's advisers are increasingly
0:18 worried that Republicans will pay a political price for the rising fuel costs.
0:23 And that's according to people familiar with the matter.
0:26 That's right.
0:27 Just we're 68 days NOW, 68 DAYS INTO THIS DISASTROUS WAR WITH IRAN.
0:32 AND THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE IS WAKING UP TO THE REALITY
0:35 THAT RISING GAS PRICES MIGHT HURT THEIR PARTY AT THE POLLS.
0:39 WHAT A SCOOP THERE, THAT ONE.
0:41 AND BOY, THEY'RE JUST REALIZING IT now.
0:43 And I wonder how the political geniuses who are waking up
0:46 to this now inside the White House figured that one out.
0:49 Maybe it was the recent NPR Marist poll showing
0:52 63% of voters blame Trump for rising gas prices
0:55 Or the recent Reuters-Ipsos poll showing 77% of registered voters
1:00 think Trump bears responsibility for the high cost of gas.
1:03 Or one of the bajillions of other polls all showing Americans
1:09 are fed up with Trump's war and the rising cost of gas.
1:12 So now that the Trump administration finally realizes just
1:15 how bad these rising gas prices are for them,
1:17 how are they going to try to sell this to the American people?
1:21 Because that's the key part?
1:22 Well, so far we've seen a variety of approaches.
1:27 There's the complete denial approach,
1:29 like what we saw from Trump's energy secretary today.
1:34 And what about people's concern about gas prices?
1:37 They're seeing numbers that, you know,
1:39 give them some heartburn and some heartache.
1:41 And it's hard for a lot of people to figure
1:42 out how they're going to stomach this for much longer.
1:45 It is.
1:47 And of course, it's been tough for our administration as well.
1:49 This is an administration, the first Trump term and the second Trump term,
1:52 all about lowering energy prices
1:54 and an incredibly successful record in doing that.
1:58 It's been really tough for their administration,
2:01 these rising gas prices that they caused by this war.
2:04 I mean, again, that was Chris Wright telling the Fox News
2:06 audience that they've been incredibly successful at lowering prices as they
2:11 roll a graphic showing the national average for a gallon
2:14 of gas has climbed to four dollars and fifty five cents.
2:16 So that's one option, one messaging approach.
2:20 What else you got?
2:22 Isn't there a former reality TV star in charge
2:24 of the transportation department we could talk I THINK YOU'VE
2:36 SEEN A PRESIDENT WHO IS WILLING TO WE HAVE
2:38 A PRESIDENT WHO IS WILLING TO ADDRESS A NUCLEAR IRAN.
2:43 I'M SORRY, SON.
2:44 WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO SIX FLAGS THIS SUMMER.
2:47 THAT'S OK, OK, DAD, AT LEAST WE HAVE
2:48 A PRESIDENT WHO IS WILLING TO ADDRESS A NUCLEAR IRAN.
2:52 IS THAT HOW YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO GO?
2:55 ROAD RULE, SEAN?
2:56 MAYBE.
2:56 WHO KNOWS.
2:57 MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HE THINKS.
2:58 THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING BETTER THEY CAN
3:01 COME UP TRUMP'S PERPETUALLY OPTIMISTIC ECONOMIC ADVISER, KEVIN HASSETT.
3:05 SURELY HE CAN PUT A BRIGHTER SPIN ON ALL OF THIS, RIGHT?
3:10 CREDIT CARD SPENDING IS THROUGH THE ROOF.
3:12 THEY'RE SPENDING MORE ON GASOLINE BUT THEY'RE
3:14 spending more on everything else too.
3:17 Sure gas is expensive everyone but think about all the other fun
3:21 things that are also more expensive and running up your credit card bill.
3:38 The underlying cause behind the spike in gas prices,
3:40 the war in Iran Trump started, is going to end anytime soon.
3:43 Now as I mentioned today the US and Iran started exchanging missile fire again,
3:47 the second time in as many weeks
3:48 that this cease-fire has suddenly reverted to military action.
3:52 And despite that, the Trump administration is trying to claim
3:55 that the ceasefire is still in place and the war has not restarted.
3:58 So yeah, missiles are flying in both directions but not in the war kind of way,
4:02 I guess, is their argument?
4:05 Now this happened on the same day we woke up to reporting
4:08 from the Washington Post that Iran could wait out the U .S.
4:15 .S.
4:16 .S.
4:17 .S.
4:17 which to go back to where we started leaves
4:19 plenty of time for gas prices to keep climbing.
4:22 which to go back to where we started leaves .S.
4:23 .S.
4:27 .S.
4:27 to also lose his grip.
4:28 to also lose his grip.
4:29 on power.