Donald Trump believes that higher gas prices are a necessary cost to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Posted by The Kuhner Report, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
The Kuhner ReportOct 7, 2026
Sources show Trump repeatedly framed higher gas prices as a price worth paying to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, which supports the claim's core.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… These are long rallies. He likes to improvise, riff, as they say. He was talking about the decision to launch the war with Iran, and in particular, he addressed two key issues. Number one, and he said this repeatedly on the campaign trail, that he understands gas prices are up, and he understands it's hurting Americans and hurting consumers, but in his view, he believes it is a small price to pay in order to prevent Iran from getting the bomb, from getting nukes, because he believes that his greatest fear is that, should Iran have acquired the bomb, or should they ever get a nuke, that they would eventually use it on a U.S. City. …
The Kuhner Report · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters (Aug. 14, 2026) reports Trump urged Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices as the cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.[1]
Supports. AP's compilation of Trump's remarks quotes him on Sept. 16 calling higher gas prices 'a very inexpensive price to pay' for the war, and says he describes the war as necessary to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.[2][4]
Supports. PolitiFact (Oct. 6, 2026) covers the Oct. 5 Nebraska rally where Trump's 'small price to pay' remarks were disputed; the White House says he was stating the nuclear threat rationale, not endorsing an attack on Los Angeles or San Diego.[3]
Context. The dispute over the Los Angeles and San Diego framing does not affect whether Trump held the gas-price-for-nuclear-prevention view; the White House itself confirms that rationale.[3]
Context. Later sources (October 26 onward) show gas prices rising further and Trump continuing the same justification, so the state of affairs on the claim date is unchanged.[5][6]
Sources
6 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 3 not rated
- 1Trump urges Americans to accept higher gas prices as he escalates Iran rhetoricreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Trump on gas prices and energy costs since launching the ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3What Trump said about Iran taking out Los Angeles, San Diegopolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 4In his own words: Trump on gas prices and energy costs since ...ktsm.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Trump calls gas price rise 'small price' to stop Iran's nuclear weaponbiz.heraldcorp.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 6In his own words: Trump on gas prices and energy costs since launching ...dailyherald.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post