'Blame shift': Trump official fact-checked after saying rising energy costs are Biden’s fault
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright walks near the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 19, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was criticized online Tuesday after asserting that rising electricity costs ahead of next year’s midterms are former President Joe Biden’s legacy, and not Trump administration’s responsibility.
During a visit to Iowa, Wright told Politico, according to a report published Tuesday: “The momentum of the Obama‑Biden policies, for sure that destruction is going to continue in the coming years.”
He added, “That momentum is pushing prices up right now. And who’s going to get blamed for it? We’re going to get blamed because we’re in office.”
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By the end of July, electricity prices were roughly 5.5 percent higher than a year ago, driven by surging demand.
President Donald Trump has promised a new “golden age” to forecasts of “the greatest economic boom in history.”
The Politico report noted that at Ames National Laboratory, Wright stood alongside Iowa Republicans, including Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks, chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, who have urged a softer approach to rolling back renewable energy tax benefits.
Despite steep declines in wind and solar costs and renewables making up 93 percent of new U.S. power capacity last year, according to the American Clean Power Association, Wright argued the administration must double down on coal, natural gas, and nuclear after the Biden years.
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Reflecting the administration’s urgency, Wright told Politico at the Des Moines airport: “We’re swimming seven days a week to try to offset that negative momentum and try to bring electricity prices down.”
Meanwhile, Wright's remarks sparked backlash on social media.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) shared the report and wrote on the social platform X: "Trump just ripped away $156 million in federal funding from Michigan that was going toward lowering energy prices. The program would have saved the average family $400 a year. So yeah, Donald, these prices are your fault."
Josh Freed, a clean energy advocate, said the secretary was "trying to blame shift rising electricity rates caused by the Trump admin shadow ban on renewables, killing transmission projects and tariffs."
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"US needs all of the above not govt picking winners," Freed added.
