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Donald Trump defended high gas prices by claiming America is 'making an absolute fortune' from the Iran War while still promising they would go down soon.
asserted
they → sign → War
Diesel sits at $6.35, down from a record high of $6.52 at the end of September.
asserted
Diesel → sit → September
Speaking at a rally in Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday night, Trump said the profits from oil production are at an all-time high.
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profits → speak → high
'Because of the Middle East, you know that when you say the last seven months, you've produced more oil, more everything, you've made more money than you've ever made.
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you → know → money
You know what took place seven months ago?
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what → know → place
The war,' Trump said.
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Trump → say → ?
Trump then chided critics who suggested he was being crass for suggesting the country was making money when 'people have to pay more at the pump.'
'Paying more at the pump is gonna come down really fast, okay?'
uncertain
Paying → chide → pump
The President continued: 'Here's what's important, it's really good.
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it → continue → ?
Our country is making a fortune, more than it's ever made.'
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it → make → fortune
He cited the Middle East getting its oil from places like Texas and Louisiana and reiterated that 'we're making a fortune.'
Donald Trump defended high gas prices by claiming America is 'making an absolute fortune' from the Iran War while still promising they would go down soon
A sticker depicting President Donald Trump and reading 'I DID THAT!' is affixed beside gasoline and diesel prices at a gas station in Newtown, Pennsylvania, in September of 2026
'Texas has never, ever done numbers like this.
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Texas → cite → this
You know why?
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You → know → ?
Because seven months ago, we started...' Trump said, without adding the beginning of the war.
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Trump → start → war
However, Trump did promise that he is listening on gas prices, saying 'the ones we care about are the people at the pump.
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we → promise → pump
'
'Those numbers are going to start coming down really, really rapidly,' he assured.
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he → go → ?
As Trump's war in Iran spikes gas prices and adds pressure on Republican candidates across the US, he sought to highlight an earlier military operation in Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly appeared onstage with Trump, who used the trip in part to highlight the arrangement made with Venezuela to process more of its crude oil in Texas refineries.
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who → spike → refineries
'We´re celebrating the greatest oil victory in history,' Trump said in Corpus Christi.
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Trump → celebrate → Christi
Trump attended the first rally of the day in the port city of Corpus Christi, where the oil tanker Angerona was docked outside.
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tanker → attend → Christi
'We have a little breaking news,' he told the audience.
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he → have → audience
That's got 1 million barrels of oil on it from Venezuela.
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That → get → Venezuela
And we're celebrating the greatest oil victory in history.
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we → celebrate → history
To the victor belong the spoils, right?
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spoils → belong → victor
Trump points to an oil tanker he said carries 500,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil during a campaign rally at the Port of Corpus Christi
In January, Trump ordered US forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, putting his No. 2, Delcy Rodríguez, in charge.
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Trump → point → charge
In August, he announced an agreement granting the US a fifth of Venezuela's oil.
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he → announce → oil
And on Tuesday, the first shipment had arrived.
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shipment → arrive → Tuesday
'But the oil on the ships outside is being provided to the United States at zero cost to the American taxpayer.
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oil → provide → taxpayer
That's not bad,' he added.
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he → add → ?
However, prices remain well over $4 a gallon and in some cases over $6 a gallon for Diesel.
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prices → remain → Diesel
Regular gasoline sat at $2.81 a gallon in January.
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gasoline → sit → January
The highest average US gas price reached $5.02 in June 2022 under former President Joe Biden.
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price → reach → Biden
However, the national average price in Trump's second term has been $3.473 per gallon compared with $3.471 under Biden per a CNN analysis of AAA data, making the average higher under Trump.
Those skyrocketing costs, which rose as a result of President Trump's war with Iran that he often calls a 'little detour,' are sinking Republicans on the campaign trail.
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he → compare → trail
However, the drawn-out conflict has instead rocked the global economy and piled fresh pressure on Americans already struggling with the cost of living.
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conflict → draw → living
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Republican Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at a rally in Corpus Christi
An AP-NORC poll released last week found voters in both parties want the next Congress to focus on bringing down everyday costs and ending the war which has presented another headache for GOP candidates ahead of the November 3 elections.
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which → release → elections
Paxton was caught trashing the war in audio leaked by Axios from a private event last month.
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Paxton → catch → event
At the event, Paxton was asked by an attendee what he sees as 'dragging' his campaign, to which he responded: 'It's not tariffs....
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It → ask → which
The Lone Star State Republican made the admission to a room of lobbyists at a private fundraising lunch in Washington, DC.
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Republican → make → Washington
Although Trump tried to address diesel costs by making a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin that centered on the administration issuing temporary licenses allowing Russian diesel imports into the US for six months, he faced criticism from Republicans.
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he → try → Republicans
In Iowa, where fall means harvest season as much as it does election season, Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson told the Daily Mail earlier in October that the diesel deal made her 'nervous.'
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her → mean → October
Beyond a deal with Russia, Hinson floated several other fixes.
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Hinson → float → fixes
She called for 'investing in our refining capacity here in the United States that has gone by the wayside,' and said the administration was taking steps to 'reinvigorate American independence again.'
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administration → call → independence
She also urged lawmakers to explore 'a temporary pause in the gas tax' and 'potentially a diesel rebate program' for farmers and truckers who rely on the fuel for work.
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who → urge → work
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
