A Trump supporter sporting a red ‘Keep America Great’ hat at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa.Shutterstock
President Donald Trump insists that the war in Iran is not raising gas prices, but one of his staunchest supporters up for reelection this year is shaming voters for caring about that link — and now he is being mocked for it.
MS NOW’s Steve Benen ridiculed the tactic by U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) on Wednesday.
“As consumers struggle with high gas prices and the White House quietly concedes that relief probably won’t arrive anytime soon, congressional Republicans, especially those running for re-election in the fall, are trying to figure out what to say about the issue,” wrote Benen. “They should probably avoid following the example set by … Marshall.”
“I’m sorry the gas prices are going up, but help is on its way, and your national security, yes, is even more important than your pocketbook,” Marshall told Newsmax.
Benen pointed out that the Kansas Republican’s argument only makes sense if one actually believes that the alternative to higher prices “is a nuclear-armed theocracy in the Middle East.”
“Your pocketbook is important, Marshall argues, but national security is more important. To hear the senator tell it, Donald Trump made the responsible choice by prioritizing the latter above the former,” said Benen.
Yet this is not simply true, he pointed out: “Iran did not have nuclear weapons. It’s never had nuclear weapons. It wasn’t especially close to having nuclear weapons.”
Benen is not alone in pointing out that Trump’s economic policies are making it unfeasible for him to retain the support of his otherwise-loyal voters. Writing for Fortune Magazine earlier this week, business editor Nick Lichtenberg argued that “the White House promised a manufacturing renaissance. Instead, the factory floor keeps shrinking."
Ultimately, this could work to the great disadvantage of Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, as The Bulwark’s conservative commentator Mona Charen pointed out in February.
By contrast, when AlterNet reached out to the White House last week for comment on the recurring criticisms of the Iran war and the economy, spokesperson Kush Desai denied that the economy is taking a long-term hit.
“President Trump has been clear about short-term disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury, and the Administration went into this military engagement with a plan to mitigate these disruptions to America’s long-term economic resurgence," Desai said. "As energy markets begin to stabilize, historic tax refund checks hit the mail, and the rest of the Trump administration’s pro-growth agenda continues taking effect, Americans can rest assured that the best is yet to come.”