Rep. Mike Lawler. (Philip Yabut/Shutterstock)
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faced a wave of ridicule Wednesday after CNN’s John Berman confronted him over rising gas prices and President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.
“Did Kathy Hochul start the war with Iran?” Berman asked after Lawler blamed New York’s Democratic governor for high energy costs.
Lawler paused for several seconds before pivoting to utility costs, as Berman quickly pointed out that national gas prices had soared from $2.98 per gallon before the war to $4.24 Wednesday morning.
“There’s no question. The war in Iran has had an impact on oil markets,” the MAGA congressman eventually admitted, before shifting blame back to Democrats.
The awkward exchange sparked a swift wave of mockery on social media, including from the New York governor.
Hochul’s press office responded on X with one word: “No.”
Serafina J. Chitika, Hochul’s communications director, blasted Lawler and Rep. Bruce Blakeman (R-NY) as “two spineless Trump puppets who will say literally anything to defend Donald Trump's record-high gas prices.”
“6 days out from the election, their closing message is clear: the GOP is bad for your wallet,” she added Wednesday.
House Majority PAC also had blistering words for Lawler after the awkward CNN exchange, writing that Lawler “also said gas prices would be below $3.00 by now.”
“That was a lie too,” the Democratic super PAC wrote on X.
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis called the exchange “brutal,” while author John Long told his followers the interview was “just painful.”
Long later called Lawler a “Trump toadie" who will “now face the consequences.”
“This is so beautiful,” Heidi MacDonald, editor-in-chief of ComicsBeat, joked in a social media post.
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