JD Vance’s ‘tinpot dictator’ excuse for skyrocketing gas prices backfires spectacularly online

Vice President JD Vance drew online mockery after blaming high gas prices on foreign strongmen at a midterms rally in Belgrade, Montana, on Monday. Critics seized on his wording as a description that could just as easily fit his boss, President Donald Trump, according to The Independent.

Speaking to undecided voters, Vance conceded that many people think fuel costs are too high and that more work remains to undo what he called the worst inflation in half a century under the previous administration. He argued that price surges have repeatedly followed overseas crises, citing 1979, 2001, 2007 and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he said pushed prices well above current levels. Such spikes, he said, come whenever a "tin-pot dictator" throws a tantrum.

On X, users noted that his list skipped conflicts during Trump's tenure. Some asked whether he was insulting the president, one joked that the man in question signs his paychecks, and another recalled Vance's earlier criticism of Trump before joining the administration. Vance closed by saying expanded domestic energy production is the best protection for American families against turmoil in the Middle East.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →