Social media broils Trump press secretary’s alternative facts

Social media critics blasted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for claiming the administration has lowered gas prices.“Thank goodness we have a president and administration that believes in American energy dominance in bringing down prices at the pump,” Leavitt told reporters during a Wednesday press conference. “Look at how gas prices decreased over the past year since this president was in office.”But critics don’t appear to see it that way.“They think you’re dumb,” wrote one X user. “And they’re kinda right.”Other X users unleashed rolling eyes and hostility. Even famous actress Morgan Fairchild shared a series of dismissive and mocking emoticons.Sara McGee, a candidate for Texas’ 132nd House District, argued on X that “the irony is not lost on me that the definition of what she is doing is GASlighting.” Meanwhile another X user posted “Bulls—— Barbie at it again. MAGA are you not tired of this gaslighting? I mean when she lies about something so blatantly obvious and verifiable, do you think she is telling you the truth about other stuff?”Over on the social media platform Threads, the account Headquarters Newsroom simply noted that Karoline Leavitt said “with a straight face: ‘Look at how gas prices decreased over the past year since this president was in office.’”In the past, Leavitt has been called out for playing fast and loose with the facts when discussing the economy and the Iran war. She could not legitimately answer reporters when asked is the Strait of Hormuz open or not? And is Lebanon part of the ceasefire or not?"Well, with respect to the first reporting out of Iranian state media, the president was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium. That is completely unacceptable," said Leavitt about the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed. "And again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different. Privately, we have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today."She later added, incorrectly, that “the president’s and my main priority is to make sure that clear messages are sent to the American people. We hope that Iran will be a country of prosperity," is how Leavitt answered it.And Leavitt is not the only White House spokesperson to make questionable claims about the Iran war and the economy. Speaking to AlterNet last week, Taylor Rogers argued that “the United States’ energy dominance status, as the world’s leading producer and a top exporter of oil and natural gas, has positioned us to not rely on the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz like other countries. If anything, Operation Epic Fury actually underscored the importance of producing reliable, affordable, and secure energy here at home. Many of our allies that have tried transitioning to intermittent and unreliable renewable energy sources have predictably failed to break their reliance on foreign oil that goes through the Strait.”Rogers concluded, "Several countries from around the world are now looking to emulate the President’s energy dominance agenda and are advancing new partnerships that enhance their energy security with the United States.”