CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins called out Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan for telling Americans concerned about high gas prices "That's life," only for him to deny that he'd said it live on air just seconds prior.
Republicans have faced pressure from constituents nationwide to address the rising cost of living, but Americans are feeling pain at the pump now that the Iran war, which the Trump administration kicked off in late February, has prompted a spike in gas prices.
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has reached $4.520, according to the American Automobile Association, up from $4.483 just a week earlier. Diesel prices also climbed nearly 2 cents to $5.674 per gallon, putting them within roughly 14 cents of a record high, though still about $2.13 lower than they were a year ago.
Collins pointed out to Jordan that President Donald Trump campaigned successfully in 2024 on concerns about affordability, particularly rising gasoline prices, asking:
“What about his promise in 2024 that if he was reelected, gas would be under $2 a gallon because of his policies?”
Jordan gave the following dismissive response, at one point saying "that's 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, you know, the world we live in."
"I think the country gets the fundamental fact – and I know I understand this – President Trump makes decisions that are in the best interest of our nation, 250 years, greatest country in history.”
Collins then pressed Jordan on whether his “that’s life” remark would reassure voters concerned about rising costs:
"But if someone’s listening to you and they were paying $2.98 a gallon gas before the war started, and now they’re paying $4.53, I mean, saying 'that’s life' might not, you know, make them feel better."
Jordan responded by denying he had said what he stated less than a minute earlier:
"Those are– those are your words. Not mine. I’m saying–"
But Collins cut him off:
"No, you said, 'That’s life' just now."
Jordan replied with further justifications for the war in Iran:
"This is the situation. This is the situation. They were pursuing a nuclear weapon. They wanted to get there."
"President Trump said, 'I’m not gonna do that.' He ran on that, and he’s taken the appropriate action that I think you want your commander-in-chief to take for the security and safety of America."
Though Collins was firm, saying that Trump "also ran on bringing gas prices to under $2 a gallon," Jordan tried to play off what he said:
"Hopefully, we’ll get there soon. I want– I want gas prices low, too. I mean, we all want gas prices low. Who doesn’t, for goodness sake?"
You can watch their exchange in the video below.
People were not impressed by Jordan's behavior.
Jordan has previously been taken to task for remarks about gas prices and affordability.
He was called out during the Biden administration after he asked his followers if they remembered "how cheap gas was" during President Donald Trump's first term.
However, according to price data collected by the federal Energy Information Administration, the national average price of a gallon of gasoline for the week of Jan. 18, 2021, the week Trump left office, was $2.38, which is 28 percent higher than Trump has previously claimed.
Jordan received similar criticism after he claimed that groceries "weren't expensive during the Trump administration" at a time when news outlets were reporting that many Americans were feeling the impacts of inflation at the grocery store.
However, rising grocery prices are not necessarily new and were, in fact, observed during Trump's time in office because he he initiated a trade war, raising taxes on aluminum and steel. Ultimately, the agriculture industry and farmers in particular ended up paying the price when countries leveled retaliatory tariffs.
Considering trade wars have continued and there's now a war with Iran with Trump in office again, it's clear Jordan hasn't learned a thing.
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