May 19, 2026
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) had a lot to say about high gas prices in 2022, especially when it came to Joe Biden.
Washington 'elites,' he said, don't understand the impact of high gas prices on the country's infrastructure. "$5 gas kills the economy," he said on Fox News (1) at the time. But as the war in Iran continues to drive up gas prices today, he has a different thought: "That's life."
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Appearing on CNN's The Source, Jordan said "gas prices were coming down until we had to deal with this situation [in Iran], but, you know, that's life. That's dealing with the world we live in." (2)
When pressed by anchor Kaitlan Collins about the comment, Jordan seemed to forget he had said it a moment earlier, telling Collins "those are your words, not mine." (3)
$5 gas draws near
Gas isn't quite to the $5 mark just yet in the U.S. AAA says the national average stands at $4.53 as of Tuesday morning. That, admittedly, doesn't match the levels the country faced in 2022, when the average price hit an all-time high (4) of $5.01 in June of that year.
Analysts, though, expect it will reach that point soon (5). It could go even higher if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Gas prices have been a big talking point for Republicans in the past. Beyond his comments on Fox Business, Jordan also posted (6) on social media in 2022, "Real America doesn't care about the January 6th Committee. Gas is over $5 per gallon!"
Donald Trump also had a lot to say about gas prices in the past, saying (7) in 2012 "Gasoline will soon be $5 a gallon. People are outraged. The fact is, we have no one in the White House to protect us."
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High gas prices are already impacting life
The current rise in the price of gas is already impacting people's wallets, and it could have broader economic impacts in the months to come. The shipping industry will need to increase rates to cover the expenses of drivers and a growing number of Americans are rethinking their summer vacation plans, due to high fuel costs. That could impact both the earnings of major airlines as well as tourism revenues in several states.
A new study (8) from Deloitte finds that just 45% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation that includes paid lodging this year, the lowest figure in six years. Nearly one-third (32%) of non-travelers say travel is too expensive and 35% say they cannot afford it.
Even in 2022, those numbers were higher.
"Life sometimes throws things at you that you didn't anticipate and you have to deal with it," said Jordan on CNN. "You want a Commander in Chief who will deal with it and will deal with it in a way that is focused on the safety of the people he was elected to serve."
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Fox Business (1); YouTube (2),(3); AAA (4); WSAZ (5); X (formerly Twitter) (6); Daily Star (7); Deloitte (8)
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
