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Fox used California's climate policies to deflect from gas price spike driven by Trump’s war on Iran

Media Matters / Andrea Austria

Before the Iran war, Fox personalities tethered low gas prices to US economic growth and overall affordability

Sean Hannity called cheap gas the “lifeblood of the world’s economy”

Special Programs Climate & Energy

Written by Allison Fisher

Published 05/21/26 8:58 AM EDT

Until recently, Fox personalities pushed the narrative that low gas prices and a healthy economy go hand in hand. Just weeks before the Trump administration began bombing Iran, Fox host Sean Hannity told his radio audience, “I think the most impactful measure that is really benefiting Americans, the first and foremost, is the price of a gallon of gasoline.” 

Host Laura Ingraham said decreasing energy costs was a message the administration should “keep hammering ... day after day.” 

In fact, Fox personalities and guests across the network spread the narrative that lower gas prices — fueling economic growth and bringing prices down across the board — was a winning message for Trump.

But as gas prices and then inflation started to climb in response to President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, Fox personalities downplayed the impact to consumers as temporary and a necessary sacrifice and even celebrated the benefit to U.S. oil companies.  

Before the war, Fox personalities touted low gas prices as a driver and sign of economic success and an indicator that Trump was “keeping his affordability promise”

  • Fox’s White House correspondent Peter Doocy: “Officials believe the key to keeping prices for everything down is keeping the price of gas down.” He read a statement from the administration that said, in part, “The Trump administration's actions to unleash American energy, slash regulations, and crush inflation are translating into lower gas prices in many states.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 11/25/25] 

  • Guest host David Asman on Kudlow: “President Trump keeping his affordability promise with gas prices hitting a four-year low.” [Fox Business, Kudlow, 12/1/25]

  • Fox host Harris Faulkner: “Poll after poll is showing affordability is top of mind for Americans, almost in every income bracket.” She continued: “Leaning hard into that issue, President Trump has announced he is reversing many of what he calls former President Biden's worst economic policies. … Let's talk about paying for gas right now. AAA gas prices have dropped below $3 for the first time since May of 2021.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 12/4/25]

  • Discussing affordability on The Five, Fox host Greg Gutfeld said, “Gas prices are insane, but the media doesn't talk about it because the media doesn't drive.” Host Jesse Watters said with regard to messaging on this issue: “I would just hammer these things: energy, stock market, jobs, jobs, jobs.” [Media Matters, 12/4/25]

  • Wall Street Journal assistant editor James Freeman on America Reports: Trump “does have some recent wins to talk about, lowest gasoline prices in four years.” He added: “When he came into office, the economy was shrinking in that first quarter. We are having a growth revival.” [Fox News, America Reports, 12/8/25]

  • Fox Business host Stuart Varney: “Look at this, regular [gas] now averages just $2.95.” He also said: “Today, the administration lays out its plan to help farmers. Tomorrow, the president speaks on affordability in Pennsylvania. He will at least be able to take credit for the declining gas prices.” [Fox Business, Varney & Co., 12/8/25]

  • Faulkner: “Look, huge example across the country: 36 states with unleaded gasoline, a gallon of it, less than $3. Gas prices and more he’s worked on.” Faulkner said: “You know what we call those? Deliverables. President Trump there talking about delivering on his promises to do those things plus lower energy costs. Look, huge example across the country: 36 states with unleaded gasoline, a gallon of it, less than $3. Gas prices and more he’s worked on. An economy that’s now tipping into some major success areas that people are feeling.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 1/14/26]

  • Sean Hannity: “Gas prices are lower. Interest rates are lower. Inflation is much lower. You know, and gas prices in particular, everything you buy at every store you go to is impacted by it.” Hannity continued, “And, yeah, are there certain things that are still expensive? Yeah. There are. The president inherited a mess, but we now have the largest tax cuts in history. … Add that with, you know, energy dominant policies, that is a formula for everybody to be doing a lot better financially.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 1/15/26]

  • Fox host and former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Trump “has done an extraordinary job on the economy,” including by bringing gas prices down. McEnany argued, “Donald Trump has the facts on his side. He has done an extraordinary job on the economy. Now it's about pushing the message. So I just did some counting as we were coming to this. There are 40 weeks between now and the midterms, so think of this as 40 opportunities to push a message each week. … This is a week where affordability was kind of a footnote. But President Trump has the facts. GDP was 4.4% in the third quarter. It was anemic under the Biden years. Inflation is down. Gas prices are down.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/23/26] 

  • Fox contributor Marc Thiessen: “Gas prices are down. Core inflation is low.” Thiessen added: “And he has done a lot of good things. He has cut taxes. He’s cut regulations. He’s got all these trade deals he’s negotiated. He’s unleashing oil and gas. … If all those policies take their effect by the time voters go to the voting booth in November, they're going to be feeling pretty good.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 2/9/26]

  • Fox Business correspondent Edward Lawrence said Trump was “taking ownership of this economy,” noting, “Gas prices have come down. All types of gas down 3.4% over the past 12 months.”  [Fox News, America’s Newsroom, 2/9/26]

  • On The Five, Fox host Dana Perino speculated that “the economy is poised to boom and possibly at a time that's very good for [Trump]” because “tax bills are going to be less, and the tax returns are going to be better, and the gas prices are way down.” [Fox News, The Five, 2/10/26]

  • Hannity: “The fact that gasoline prices are down so dramatically is so impactful in so many different ways because everything you buy at every store you go to is now cheaper because it's the lifeblood of the world's economy.” Hannity bragged, “Interest rates down, inflation down, gas prices down, more money in your paycheck.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 2/12/26]

  • Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt suggested Trump should say, “Inflation is down. I have lowered gas prices. I'm trying to make us more energy independent, which is what we had in my first term, and this is how I'm doing it.” Earhardt said, “I think honesty is the best policy. If he says, look, when I came into office, many of you voted for me because of the economy but also because of immigration. Look what I did. I closed the borders. It's been a year since I have been in office. So I have focused on that for my first year. Then now I'm focusing on the economy. We always hear about affordability from the Democrats, so I want to make life affordable for you, America. I have — inflation is down. I have lowered gas prices. I'm trying to make us more energy independent, which is what we had in my first term, and this is how I'm doing it.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 2/24/26]

  • Fox anchor Sandra Smith: “You've got oil prices now under this administration down 15%, gas prices down 6%, a lot of those food prices have come down.” Smith noted, “Obviously there are those who say that they’d like to see those prices come down a whole lot more, but there are folks who are enjoying a record-breaking stock market, inflation has slowed greatly from the past few years. ” [Fox News, America Reports, 2/26/26]

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In This Article

  • U.S. – Iran relations

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