Jim Jordan

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) defended President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran despite skyrocketing gas prices.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins pressed Jordan on why he was critical of high gas prices under former President Joe Biden but not during Trump’s second term. She played a clip from Jordan speaking in 2022, when he argued that “$5 gas kills the economy.”

Jordan acknowledged that the high gas prices are “not good” and emphasized he wants the prices to come down. However, he argued that the gas prices now are more justified than under Biden’s term.

“But we don’t want this country, and what they’ve done over 47 years, the people they’ve killed, the evil they’ve been a part of, we don’t want them getting a nuclear weapon,” Jordan said on CNN’s “The Source.”

“And when Biden was driving up the gas prices, it was because of stupid regulation and taxes and everything else and spending. It wasn’t to prevent the regime. In fact, they were cozying up to Iran. They were giving them American tax dollars to them. They were doing all kinds of stupid deals,” he added.

Collins pushed Jordan further, asking whether he believes gas prices are going up for the “right reason.”

“Yes, and it’s for a reason that he told the American people he was going to do,” Jordan responded, noting that Trump said “he would make sure Iran didn’t get a nuclear weapon.”

Collins then asked: “What about his promise in 2024 that if he was reelected, gas would be under $2 a gallon because of his policies?”

Jordan fiercely defended Trump and brushed off high gas prices as a part of “life.”

“Well, gas prices were coming down until we had to deal with this situation. But, you know, that’s life, that’s dealing with world, and the world we live in,” Jordan said.

Collins seized on Jordan’s comments to ask a follow up question.

“But if someone’s listening to you and they were paying $2.98 a gallon of gas before the war started, and now they’re paying $4.53. I mean, saying, ‘That’s life,’ might not make them feel better,” she said.

Jordan fired back, arguing that he did not say that.

“Those are your words, not mine,” he said.

“No, you said, ‘That’s life,’ just now,” she responded.

Jordan then reiterated that the U.S. does not want Iran to get a nuclear weapon despite the White House offering no evidence to back claims that Iran was close to acquiring one. Collins then highlighted again how she was just quoting what Jordan said.

“You said, ‘That’s life.’ I was just quoting what you said a second ago. Those were not my words. Those were your words,” Collins said.

Jordan then clarified what he meant by that phrase.

“I‘m saying, life sometimes throws things at you that you didn’t anticipate, and you have to deal with it, and you want a commander-in-chief who will deal with it and deal with it in a way that is focused on the safety of the people he was elected to serve and protect,” he said.