Trump was asked about Americans paying $8 a gallon for gas as prices surge nationwide, and his answer is not going over well

A TikTok video showing gas prices above $8 a gallon at a Los Angeles Chevron station has gone viral with over 3.4 million views. The video was posted by user Marcie (@heyheyheymarcie) and showed regular unleaded gas priced at $8.21 per gallon at a station in downtown Los Angeles. President Donald Trump, when asked about rising fuel costs, said he has no concerns.

While the $8 price appears to be limited to that one station for now, California’s statewide average has already crossed $5 per gallon. According to Newsweek, the state’s strict environmental rules require cleaner-burning gasoline, and most refineries that produce this special fuel are located within California itself.

California also adds heavy fuel taxes on top of that. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, drivers in California pay around $0.90 per gallon in combined local, state, and federal taxes and fees. The state is also geographically cut off from outside fuel supply, with no pipelines crossing the Rocky Mountains and only a limited number supplying the West Coast from the Gulf Coast.

The war in Iran and California’s geography are pushing gas prices higher across the country

The conflict involving Iran is also having a major impact on global oil markets, affecting gas prices across the entire United States. The Strait of Hormuz, a 29-mile corridor between Iran and Oman, carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, which is nearly 20 million barrels per day. Instability in that region affects oil markets worldwide.

Trump has made clear that Iran must fully surrender to end the war, which officials warn could mean a much longer conflict ahead. The global oil supply has dropped by millions of barrels per day because of the conflict. When supply falls, traders push up the price of crude oil, which raises costs for refineries. Those costs are then passed on to drivers at the pump.

Even though much of the oil from the Strait of Hormuz goes to Asia and the U.S. produces a large share of its own oil, rising global crude prices still increase costs for American refineries. Gas prices are now above $3 per gallon in every single state.

President Trump addressed the rising prices directly, saying he is not worried. “If they rise, they rise. I don’t have any concerns about it,” he said. “They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.” Trump has also been making waves on other political fronts, including his effort to remove a sitting Republican senator from office, a move that has sparked significant debate.

Expert predictions suggest that Americans will soon face average gas prices above $4 per gallon nationwide. The viral video drew a flood of reactions from viewers. “Mannnn yall need a new Governor,” one user wrote. Another joked, “This is a sign to get a bike. All that damn traffic.” A third viewer put it bluntly: “How in the hell can ANYONE afford to live out there???”