'Higher Gas Prices Caused Inflation To Triple Last Month'

[sop]

"Some level of inflation is inevitable in any modern economy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck to watch everything you buy get more and more expensive. Especially now that it's so rare to get a real raise or an actual promotion at work. With gas prices way higher than they were before Trump started this senseless war with Iran and groceries so expensive, it certainly feels like things have gotten worse since the end of February, but is that actually born out in the data? CNN reports that according to the latest Consumer Price Index report, inflation tripled last month. Yikes."

"Of course, we already knew Americans were paying more at the pump. As of 10 days ago, the war that 80% of Republican voters in '24 supported had already cost U.S. drivers an extra $10 billion at the pump, and as of April 10, it had already surpassed $17 billion, so at this point, we're probably looking at a cool $20 billion or so wasted paying higher gas prices. You aren't paying those higher prices if you drive an EV, but as the CPI report shows, higher transportation costs are driving up prices on other goods and services, too."

"Per the CPI report, inflation hit 3.3% in March, and on a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.9%. As far as raw numbers go, those aren't necessarily the scariest ones a CPI report has ever contained, but what's especially concerning is how those numbers have changed compared to February. That month, inflation was sitting at 2.4% and only rose 0.3% in that time. So, while a 0.9% jump in inflation might look pretty small at first glance, the inflation rate we saw in March was triple what we saw in February. Even worse, growing inflation nearly eliminated any wage gains seen during the same period."

Continued at link:

https://www.jalopnik.com/2147696/higher-gas-prices-triple-inflation/

[samsingh]

1. maybe the media can actually provide real information that trump causes inflation

like he did during covid.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. MaddowBlog-White House starts preparing the public for persistently high gas prices

Consumers hoping for a break at the pump are getting signals from Team Trump: It’s probably best to start lowering expectations.

Link to tweet

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-starts-preparing-the-public-for-prolonged-high-gas-prices

Now the White House is taking subtle steps to prepare the public for gas prices that will be high for a prolonged period. The New York Times reported:

President Trump suggested on Sunday that elevated gasoline prices in the United States might not fall before the November midterm elections, a prediction that continued his mixed messaging and underscored potential political headwinds facing Republicans in the fall.

Mr. Trump had long downplayed a sharp spike in gas prices driven by the war in Iran by casting it as a ‘short-term increase’ that would subside within weeks. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump told Fox News that while he hoped gas and oil costs would drop before the midterms, prices ‘should be around the same’ in November — and might be ‘a little bit higher.’

In context, Fox’s Maria Bartiromo specifically asked the president whether he believes his policies will lower prices. After a long and meandering response that made little effort to answer the question, the host tried again: “Do you believe the price of oil and gas will be lower before the midterm elections?”

BARTIROMO: Do you believe the price of oil and gas will be lower before the midterm elections?

TRUMP: I hope so. I mean, I think so. It could be the same or maybe a little big higher

(Check out Maria's face as he says this!)

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-04-12T14:35:55.025Z

A day later, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who had previously told the public to expect a price drop by the summer, switched gears and said at the Semafor World Economy summit that consumers shouldn’t expect a break anytime soon.

“The president knew going into this that if you disrupt the flow of energy through [the Strait of Hormuz], in the short term, you’re going to push up energy prices,” Wright said.

Of course, if Trump did know that, he neglected to share those expectations with the public.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a written statement that if White House’s midterm pitch to Americans is “higher gas prices by Election Day, Republicans are in big, big trouble.”