Trump in Texas: Higher oil prices a trade-off to protect US West Coast
At a Texas rally Trump told supporters higher fuel costs are a necessary price to defend West Coast cities from possible Iranian attacks and urged backing for Ken Paxton.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a campaign event in Texas, urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton and defended higher fuel prices as a necessary trade-off to protect the US West Coast from possible Iranian attacks.
Trump made the remarks against a backdrop of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran and an increase in energy costs that has become a political talking point ahead of midterm contests.
Trump frames energy costs as part of national defence
At the rally he argued that, despite the burden on consumers, oil prices are lower than they might have been and are a price worth paying to keep American cities safe.
He said: "And you know what — oil is a little bit more expensive, maybe more than a little. Many people thought that the price would be three, four or five times higher. When I took office I also thought it could be much higher than that. But now we pay less than during the (Joe) Biden administration. He did nothing. He brought you the highest inflation in history. Did nothing. But you want to see trauma, you want to see problems. And I said that recently: Let them fire a missile at San Diego or Los Angeles let them hit… Want to see a horror scenario? Want to see problems? Let them hit San Diego let them hit Los Angeles then you will see how terrible things happen. You will see a country that is plunging into free fall. We will not allow that to happen. We are protecting our cities We are protecting our country. We will not allow that to happen," Trump said.
Outside the quotation, Trump also called on his supporters in Texas to turn out for Paxton amid protests and political friction at the events, presenting the security argument as one reason to back Republican candidates who, in his telling, will put national defence first.
Analysts say the claim links domestic economic pain to foreign-policy decisions and is likely aimed at rallying conservative voters by emphasising security threats on the West Coast while framing energy costs as an acceptable consequence.
Photo: press material from the event
