Trump Advisor Says Pain for U.S. Consumers 'Last of Our Concerns' as Other Countries Start Gas Rationing

Donald Trump’s top economic advisor, Kevin Hassett, was asked about rising gas prices during an interview on Tuesday, due entirely to the president’s decision to launch a war with Iran. Hassett was largely dismissive of the idea that people should be worried, going so far as to say that rising prices for consumers were the “last of our concerns,” even as countries like Australia and the UK start talking about potentially rationing gas. “There are many questions about how long this will last, how long the Strait of Hormuz will be closed,” CNBC host Becky Quick asked Tuesday morning. “And I just wonder how you’re starting to figure this out, how you’re starting to try and anticipate what that will mean for prices.” Hassett insisted that President Trump has been clear that this will be a 4-6 week war, something that’s simply not true. Trump has only said that the war will be done “soon” and when asked for specifics, typically says that it won’t be ending “this week,” as he did Tuesday at the White House. “Iran’s strategy appeared to be that they could hurt the U.S. economy, and then that would make President Trump slow down,” Hassett said. “In fact, they’re not hurting the U.S. econom