Before departing on his diplomatic trip to China, President Donald Trump told reporters that the American people’s economic burden amid the war in Iran is not a factor in negotiating a deal with the Islamic Republic’s leadership.
According to NBC News, when asked by reporters about the role “Americans’ financial situations” plays in motivating him to reach an agreement with Iran, President Trump affirmed that it does not, “not even a little bit.”
“The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all,” President Trump replied.
“The most important thing by far — including whether our stock market, which, by the way, is at an all-time high — but including whether our stock market goes up or down a little bit, the most important thing by far is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “Every American understands,” President Trump added after a reporter subsequently asked about the president’s thoughts on the economic impact of the conflict.
Speaker Johnson Attempts To Clarify President Trump's Words
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) aimed to clarify the president’s remarks by affirming that the war in Iran has “put a little damper” on the GOP’s efforts to combat affordability, according to The Hill.
“I don’t know the context in which he made that comment, but I can tell you the president thinks about Americans’ financial situations. I talk to him, on average, twice a day, sometimes three or four times a day, and we talk about it constantly,” Speaker Johnson assured.
“We’ve done everything — the Republican Party, under President Trump’s leadership — have done everything that we possibly can to reverse the maddening inflation of the Biden years that was at 40-year highs, and all of the gross misspending of the last several years, to get the economy back humming again,” Johnson said. “And we’ve done that in the Big Beautiful Bill, the Working Families Tax Cut, infused with pro-growth policies.
Rise of Consumer Prices Since "Operation Epic Fury"
According to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, consumer prices rose 3.8% in April – the highest in three years – as a result of the war in Iran.
As of May 13, 2026, the American Automobile Association (AAA) indicates that the average price of gas is $4.511 per gallon, with Florida’s sitting at $4.314 per gallon.
