Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cheerfully downplayed rising fuel costs as the result of President Donald Trump's war in Iran, and he was pilloried on social media.
The Transportation Secretary was asked by reporters Thursday at an event in Philadelphia about average gasoline prices surpassing $4.50 per gallon, and Duffy justified the president's war and insisted that prices weren't too high to consider a road trip.
"We live in a very different world, and I just don't think we've had other presidents who've been willing to see the threat and address the threat of Iran, so, opens up, I think you're going to see prices come down immediately," Duffy said. "You saw yesterday energy prices came down below $100 a barrel. I think we're at $93 this morning – don't quote me on that, I think we were at $92, $93 for Brent crude. So we're in a good place."
The cabinet official was asked how those higher prices would impact travel plans for American families this summer.
"First of all, we want to encourage all Americans to take a road trip," he said. "Whether you're going to go two hours or two days to see your country."
Duffy, a former star of the MTV reality TV shows "Road Rules" and "The Real World," faced strong pushback online.
"First it's Hassett with, 'Soaring credit card debt is awesome!' said journalist and author Mark Follman. "Now it's Duffy with, 'Let them eat road trips!'"
"'We're ending the Biden administration's War on Summer Vacation,'" snarked James Goodwin, policy director for the Center for Progressive Reform.
"If you’re worried about gas prices, just take your private jet. Trust us, this will be fine," joked USA Today's Rex Huppke.
"It cost me $88 to fill up my tank & it's hitting empty way quicker because it's cut with 15% ethanol," griped retired sportswriter and radio host Ryan McKinnell. "And I have to use premium. Sean Duffy can pay the $600 for me to take a decent road trip if he wants."
"I’m just trying to imagine the coverage a Democratic administration would get if gas was $4.55 and Dems were like, ‘Sounds great to us!’" pondered writer Jason Karsh. "Fox would be asking when white folk would be violently storming the Capitol. Again."