Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, national Democrats are testing out a new line of attack against Donald Trump. Nope, it's not about the new evidence accumulating every day that the president bases major policy decisions on how they affect his personal wealth. The Democrats' strategy is all about pinning a moderate rise in gas prices on Trump.

Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic National Committee put out a "sprinkling of statements" blaming Trump for higher gas prices, the Daily Beast reports, the opening salvos in a sustained, coordinated messaging campaign by the party.

Across the country, gas prices are rising.It's clear who to blame: @realdonaldtrump pic.twitter.com/eKxq4yDjD0

— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) May 21, 2018

Gas price populism is nothing new. Despite the absence of any firm connection between White House policy and the price of fuel, blaming the sitting president for more expensive gas is a timeworn political tactic. Though only Republicans routinely work themselves into full-on drill-baby-drill mania, we're now seeing that Democrats are fully capable of turning an uptick in gas prices into electioneering fodder.

It's a maneuver that sits uncomfortably next to Democrats' position as the major political party that views global warming as serious threat.

Few things are more damaging to the climate than cheap gas, which incentivizes more driving, the purchase of less fuel efficient cars, and sprawling development patterns. As economist Joe Cortright has written, Americans get "locked in" to larger cars with worse fuel economy for the lifecycle of the vehicle -- which can be more than a decade.

Even with the increase in fuel prices in the past year, gas remains relatively cheap by recent standards:

And by the standards of international peer nations, America does not pay much at the pump:

The longer America's addiction to low fuel prices continues, the harder it will be to make a transition to carbon-efficient transportation and development patterns. Democrats are going to tie themselves in knots if they try to be the party fighting for cheap gas and against global warming at the same time.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Hasta La Vista, Friday’s Headlines

Will the Gateway Project be back? Or will anyone taking a train have to get to da choppa instead?

October 17, 2025

‘Embarrassment’: Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking Still Flawed at Night

Relying solely on vehicle automation for pedestrian detection and collision avoidance is not advised, a new study said.

October 17, 2025

Friday Video: Enter the Bike Labyrinth

No, not the David Bowie movie — it's America's most-needed roadway safety fix.

October 17, 2025

It’s Time for the Fire Service to Join Communities in Preventing Street Trauma

First responders across the country are struggling with the trauma of witnessing constant car crashes — and joining the fight for better infrastructure that prevents these tragedies before they happen.

October 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Can’t Afford a Car

High car prices (and loan default rates) are a sign of a K-shaped economy where the wealthy thrive and the lower classes struggle, CNBC reports.

October 16, 2025

In the Era of Mass Deportations, Traffic Reform is More Important Than Ever

"We have tried criminalizing our way out of systemic problems before; it has not worked, and it has harmed the very communities we claim to support."

October 16, 2025
See all posts