President Donald Trump told a crowd on Long Island on Friday that higher gasoline prices are an acceptable cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, saying he would never apologize for the decision.
Speaking on August 14, 2026, at the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York, Trump addressed supporters and law enforcement during an event that also highlighted crime statistics and backed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s campaign for New York governor.
Trump linked the rise in fuel costs to the ongoing conflict with Iran. He recounted that gas prices had been as low as $1.85 or $1.95 a gallon in some places before the administration acted, then framed the current levels as a necessary trade-off.
“So, for you to pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline, just remember, you’re doing it so that a very evil country cannot have — a country, really, it’s the number one state sponsor of terror in the world, we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “So remember that. When you have to pay a little bit more, you’re at $4, it’s okay… I’ll never apologize, I did the right thing… I had it down to below $2 in many states.”
He credited U.S. military action, including B-2 bomber strikes, with stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and described the effort as putting out a potential major disaster in the Middle East. Trump also said that after defeating Iran, which he described as being “very badly defeated,” he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States and called the U.S. blockade a “wall of steel.”
National average regular gasoline prices stood near or above $4 per gallon around the time of the speech, according to AAA data. Prices have been elevated amid disruptions tied to the conflict and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Garden City event focused heavily on public safety. Trump, joined by FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche, pointed to FBI data showing large reductions in violent crime, including drops in homicides. He praised Nassau County’s record and repeatedly urged support for Blakeman against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Protesters gathered nearby.
Trump’s comments on energy costs come as the administration continues military pressure on Iran. He has previously argued the actions serve both U.S. and global security interests by denying nuclear capability to a country he calls the top state sponsor of terrorism.
