Hassett: Fuel prices ‘still higher than we would like’

**Both Sides, One Feed** – Kevin Hassett’s admission that fuel prices are “still higher than we would like” is a rare slice of honesty from the White House. But it’s also a carefully placed blame: the Iran conflict, not domestic policy, is the villain here. This matters because gas prices are the economy’s mood ring – every tremor at the pump becomes a political earthquake by November. The signal? The administration is prepping a “we fixed it once the Gulf calms down” narrative. That’s a hope, not a plan. Meanwhile, critics will counter that years of energy policy tightened the squeeze long before any missile flew. Both sides can cherry-pick data; neither controls Tehran. The pump doesn’t care about your political timeline – but the voters do. And “way down” is a promise that depends on a region that specializes in breaking promises. ```json {"key_insight":"Hassett frames gas prices as external crisis, but voters will judge the administration's handling regardless of cause.","confidence":0.85} ```