JD Vance blamed Biden for high gas prices during his North Carolina speech, but Americans have spent billions extra on gas since Trump’s Iran strikes

Vice President JD Vance visited Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to support Republican candidates in key congressional races. During his speech, he claimed that the Trump administration is rebuilding the economy and putting more money in people’s pockets, even as inflation and gas prices continue to rise.

According to WRAL, Vance praised Trump’s economic approach and promised lower taxes and larger tax refunds for working families. He also blamed former President Joe Biden for high inflation, saying, “Joe Biden put us in a big hole,” and challenged Democrats by asking, “So to the Democrats who talk about affordability a lot of the time, why don’t you look yourselves in the mirror?”

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, however, tells a different story. It found that four in five Americans see inflation as a “very big” concern, and most do not feel the economy is doing well. The poll also showed that Americans generally hold President Trump responsible for the economy and view his handling of inflation and the cost of living negatively.

Vance’s gas price claims clash with the 21% rise since US-Iran strikes began

Vance blamed Biden for today’s high gas prices, saying, “The gas prices we’re seeing today are nothing like what we saw at the peak of the Biden administration, because the President has set us up for energy dominance.” But according to Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy, Americans have spent $2.191 billion more on gasoline since the US and Israel began strikes against Iran last month.

When asked about the economic impact of the conflict, Vance acknowledged that Trump dislikes higher oil prices but believes a “long-term benefit” will come from the “short-term pain” of increased fuel costs, saying it will ultimately make Americans safer. Vance has drawn scrutiny for other statements made in public, including when he contradicted himself on Fox News within seconds of making a claim.

Democrats pushed back quickly. Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, accused Vance of visiting North Carolina to “lie to working families and attempt to sell them on a failing economy.” US Rep. Don Davis, a moderate Democrat whom Vance criticized, called on Vance to have a “real conversation without the lights cameras and the attacks.”

Vance also raised concerns about federal disaster funding for North Carolina, suggesting that the recent dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could help speed up the delivery of resources. 

Noem had faced criticism from both parties for demanding all FEMA funding go through her office, which caused delays and low aid levels for the state. Vance has also made headlines recently for his remarks on America’s elite social circles, claiming Trump stands outside of them.

Vance also attacked Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper over the August 2025 killing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, in Charlotte. He said, “The one Ukrainian [who] Roy Cooper didn’t care about was this innocent girl, Iryna, who had her throat slashed by a person who never should’ve been on the streets of this country to begin with.”