WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance tried to clean up recent comments by Donald Trump in which the president said he isn't considering Americans' financial hardships as he negotiates a deal to end the war in Iran.
"I think that's a misrepresentation of what the president said," Vance told reporters on May 13 in response to a reporter's question during a White House event announcing an anti-fraud initiative.
Trump, before embarking on a multi-day trip to China, told reporters on May 12, "Not even a little bit" when asked to what extent he's motivated by Americans' financial situation amid rising gas prices to reach a deal that ends the war in Iran.
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"I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all," the president said.
Playing clean-up on remarks that Democrats quickly seized on, Vance said he agrees with Trump that Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon and called preventing the spread of nuclear weapons "probably the most important thing" the administration can do to keep Americans safe.
"But of course the president, and I, and the entire team, we care about the American peoples' financial situations," Vance said. "We care about how the American people are doing economically."
The consumer price index surged 3.8% in April, the largest increase in inflation in three years, as a result of increasing oil costs stemming from the Iran war..
Trump has increasingly expressed frustrations when addressing rising prices at the gas pump, which pose a major political challenge for the president and Republicans during the 2026 midterm elections. A CNN poll released May 12 found 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, the highest mark of his presidency.
Trump has countered concerns by arguing the price of oil is not as high as he expected, while predicting prices will "drop like a rock" once the war in Iran concludes. Trump has also endorsed asking Congress to temporarily suspend the 18.4% federal gas tax to alleviate prices at the pump. Yet getting enough Democrats and Republicans on board to pass the nation's first-ever gas federal tax holiday could be a longshot.
"We know that we have a lot of work to do in order to deliver on the prosperity that the American people deserve," Vance said. "The president is hyperaware of this. I'm hyperaware of this.
"Yes, the inflation number last month was not great," Vance said, but he added it's not at the level it was under former President Joe Biden. "We're not seeing anything like what we saw under the Biden administration."
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. Reach Francesca Chambers on X @fran_chambers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump 'of course' cares about Americans' financial pain, Vance says
