DeSantis Says Republicans Dismissing Gas Pain Are ‘Gaslighting’ Voters

The term-limited Florida governor accused members of his own party of misleading voters over fuel costs on Election Day, as Republicans defend their congressional majorities amid record-low approval ratings for President Donald Trump.

He made the remarks in an election-eve interview with Stephen A. Smith, according to Clash Report’s clip of the exchange posted on X on Nov. 3. Smith’s SiriusXM show, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” posted the full interview on YouTube. Clash Report has not independently verified the full unedited context beyond the clip.

“Some of these Republicans are saying, ‘Oh, well, the gas, don’t worry. It’s no big deal.’ Or they’re trying to blame Biden. No, no. Listen, we’ve just got to be honest. Gas is higher. It hurts people, working-class people, and it’s higher because of the Iran conflict. That’s just the fact. If you can’t admit that to voters, then you’re gaslighting them, and they’re not going to listen to you on other things.”

An Open-Ended War

In the same interview, DeSantis said Trump “obviously ran saying he wasn’t going to do a Middle East war. He did.” He argued that a quick finish, like Venezuela’s, “probably wouldn’t have been an issue right now.”

“But what’s happened is it’s kind of an open-ended conflict, and it’s having a direct impact on people’s finances because they’re going to the gas pump,” he said. “They’re seeing energy prices have gone up.”

DeSantis said Trump had been advised that the war could last the rest of his presidency. “If it drags on for the rest of his presidency, it’s going to be devastating to his ability to get anything done, and it is going to be very, very difficult for Republicans in the next cycle,” he said.

He also pointed to broader inflation and Washington dysfunction. “Our candidates are running into the wind on that, and the Democrats have more momentum,” he said. Florida Politics reported that he told Smith Democrats are making “potentially big gains” this cycle.

Prices Easing but Still Elevated

The national average for regular gasoline was $4.1493 a gallon on Nov. 3, according to AAA. That is down from $4.1694 a day earlier and $4.3807 a month ago, but well above the $3.036 recorded a year ago.

On Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran, the average was $2.98, Al Jazeera reported, citing AAA. By Clash Report’s calculation, prices are up about $1.17 a gallon, or roughly 39%, since then.

The average has stayed above $4 since late July, al.com reported, while Florida’s average was $3.859 on Nov. 2. Diesel stood at $6.2875 on Nov. 3, below AAA’s record of $6.5276 set on Sept. 22. The record for regular remains $5.0165, from June 14, 2022.

Prices fell 12 cents in a week amid renewed diplomacy after in-person talks in Qatar, Al Jazeera said. Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy said the average “could fall under $4 a gallon in the next week barring a course change,” but warned volatility could return after the election.

The White House Line

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Al Jazeera: “Once this conflict comes to an end, gas prices will drop drastically, and the Iranian terrorist regime will not have a nuclear weapon.” Rogers also said “more oil is now flowing out of the Persian Gulf than before the Iran conflict began.”

Clash Report reported in late September that Gulf shipments had recovered somewhat but remained substantially below prewar volumes.

Trump has described the cost as acceptable. On Oct. 25, he said: “I thought gas would be double and triple, and it’s a small price to pay for taking a nuclear weapon away from maniacs.” In March, he called the rise “a very small price to pay” in a Truth Social post, Fox News reported.

Asked on Nov. 2 whether Americans will see $2 gas again, Trump replied: “You will see less.”

In March, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the increase “temporary,” saying that once U.S. objectives were achieved, “Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly,” Fox News reported.

A Split Over Messaging

DeSantis struck a similar tone on Nov. 1 at a campaign event in West Palm Beach for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “The reality is, gas is higher,” he said. “Some of these Republicans that try to act like it’s no big deal — I disagree with that. It is a big deal for people,” HuffPost reported.

He did not frame it as a reason to back Democrats. According to HuffPost, he claimed they would “eliminate fossil fuels and drive up your energy costs even more.”

Other Republicans have wavered between acknowledging the pain and shifting blame. Axios reported on Oct. 19 that gas prices were the most frequent concern at GOP events it attended with Reps. Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer. Scalise acknowledged the war’s effect and said prices would fall once it ends, while blaming Democratic energy policies.

House GOP conference chair Lisa McClain told Axios: “I don’t think gaslighting works.” Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately told donors, “It’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel,” according to audio obtained by Axios.

Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia took a different line, saying “high gas prices are the work of the Democrats,” the National Memo reported. Clash Report also covered JD Vance’s “tin-pot dictator” gas-price remark.

DeSantis flagged the risk earlier this year, telling reporters in Tampa that gas prices are what people are “more sensitive about than anything else,” Florida Politics reported. He warned of a “political impact” if prices did not correct.

Election Day Stakes

Voters have ranked the economy, the Iran war and gas prices among their top issues, HuffPost reported. Some Trump voters have said they want Republican candidates to break with the president to win.

In Florida, DeSantis-backed Rep. Byron Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly in the race to succeed him. A New York Times/Siena poll last week found Donalds with only a slim lead, the Times reported.

DeSantis urged Republicans to turn out on Sunday, warning that if they stay home, “you could end up seeing results that you’re going to be wondering what happened.”