Are you concerned about inflation, reporter asks Trump. Here's what he replied

Just months before the crucial US midterm elections, President Donald Trump offered an unexpected response to surging prices: "I love inflation." Trump, however, argued the spike was linked to the Iran conflict and insisted inflation would ease once it ended.

The President's surprising remark came after fresh data showed American inflation accelerating to 4.2 per cent in May, its highest level since 2023.

Asked by reporters at a White House briefing on Wednesday whether he was worried about the latest inflation numbers, Trump replied: "No, I love it. I love the inflation."

The President then explained his position by linking inflation to disruptions in global energy markets caused by the Iran conflict. He claimed his administration had authorised a covert effort to move oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

"It was worth it to me," Trump said about his calculus and calling the operation a success.

"When it's over, you will see oil drop to where it was before. It's coming down. It's going to come down like a rock," he added.

The White House, which has repeatedly maintained that energy costs triggered by the Iran crisis are the main factor behind rising prices and that inflation will moderate once tensions subside, did not immediately provide evidence supporting those figures or details about the alleged operation.

"President Trump has consistently maintained that oil and gas prices — and thus overall inflation — will plummet once the Iran situation is resolved," White House spokesman Kush Desai said later in the day.

The President's remark, however, quickly reverberated across Washington, with Democrats seizing on it as evidence that the White House was out of touch with voters struggling with the cost of living.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media that Trump had openly admitted to loving inflation "for all of America to hear," adding that the president's "contempt" for ordinary Americans "knows no bounds."

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries also mocked the President's remarks, saying they revealed something Trump loves "as much as he loves himself."

During a congressional hearing, Democratic Representative Emilia Sykes pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright on whether he shared Trump's enthusiasm for inflation.

"Do you love inflation?" she asked.

Wright sidestepped the question initially, saying he was focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. When pressed further, he acknowledged that he would prefer inflation to be lower.

He later described Trump as "an entertaining, hyperbolic guy" while defending the President's leadership.

Financial markets also appeared less convinced by the administration's optimism.

Oil prices rose sharply during Wednesday's trading session, with US crude futures climbing about 4 per cent to nearly USD 92 a barrel, reflecting continued concerns about energy supply disruptions and regional instability.

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