Treasury Eyes Swift Action as Iran Conflict Pushes Oil Higher

Rising oil prices tied to the escalating conflict with Iran have prompted the Treasury Department to prepare measures aimed at easing pressure on U.S. energy costs, Reuters reported Thursday.

Reuters reported Treasury officials were expected to announce steps as early as Thursday designed to counter the surge in energy prices following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.

 The price increases come as the Middle East conflict approaches the one-week mark after the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes triggered retaliatory actions from Iran.

Iran responded to the attacks by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which a large share of the world’s oil supply normally passes.

Energy analysts cited in coverage from Reuters and Politico noted the narrow Persian Gulf corridor carries more than 20% of the world’s oil supply, making disruptions there particularly significant for global markets.

The disruption of shipping through the waterway has tightened global supply and sent crude prices climbing in international markets.

Market data Thursday showed the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the main U.S. benchmark, rising to more than $79.70 per barrel.

Energy market figures show the price represents an increase of more than 25% compared to the cost of oil one month earlier.

Oil prices jumped more than $10 per barrel in the days following the strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation against energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, according to Politico.

The rise in crude costs has already begun showing up in higher prices for American drivers.

AAA reported Thursday that the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline climbed to $3.25.

AAA data shows the current national average is up from $2.98 just one week earlier.

AAA also reported that gasoline averaged $2.89 per gallon a month ago.

AAA figures further show the national average stood near $3.11 per gallon at this time last year.

Energy analysts cited by Politico said the spike pushed gasoline prices to their highest levels since President Donald Trump took office last year.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, warned Thursday that the pace of increases is beginning to resemble a previous major energy shock.

“It’s really starting to feel like March 2022 again,” De Haan wrote Thursday on the social media platform X while referencing the spike in fuel prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

De Haan later reported the current seven-day rolling increase in diesel fuel prices has reached 45.5 cents per gallon.

According to De Haan, the surge ranks as the 10th-largest diesel price jump on record.

De Haan also noted that the nine largest diesel price increases before the current spike all occurred in 2022 during the global energy disruption following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he was not concerned about the recent rise in gasoline prices, telling Reuters in an exclusive interview that the U.S. military operation against Iran remains the administration’s top priority.

“I don’t have any concern about it,” President Trump told Reuters when asked about higher prices at the pump.

“They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit,” President Trump told Reuters.

President Trump also told Reuters that gasoline prices have not increased dramatically since the conflict began.

President Trump said the costs “haven’t risen very much,” according to Reuters.

President Trump said earlier this week that even if prices rise in the short term, they are likely to fall once the conflict concludes.

“If we have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, lower than even before,” President Trump said earlier this week.

At the same time, Trump administration officials are actively exploring ways to bring down fuel costs as global energy markets react to the widening conflict.

Politico reported that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles directed administration officials to present ideas to the Oval Office aimed at lowering gasoline prices.

Energy industry executives familiar with the discussions told Politico the White House is examining multiple options to ease pressure on consumers.

The White House is “looking under every rock for ideas on improving energy prices, especially gasoline prices,” one energy executive familiar with the discussions told Politico.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials responsible for energy policy have been tasked with identifying options that could calm markets and reassure consumers, according to people familiar with the internal discussions cited by Politico.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that the administration anticipated rising energy prices tied to the conflict.

Rubio told reporters Monday that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would implement a program designed to offset rising oil prices.

“We knew that going in would be a factor, and so we have a program in place that will begin to be implemented by Secretary Wright, Secretary Bessent,” Rubio told reporters.

Among the ideas under discussion is a temporary federal gasoline tax holiday, though Politico reported such a move would require congressional approval and might not immediately translate into lower prices if retailers do not pass along the savings.

Administration officials have also discussed easing environmental rules around summer gasoline blends and allowing higher ethanol blends in fuel to increase supply, according to people familiar with internal deliberations cited by Reuters.

The administration has already taken steps aimed at stabilizing global energy shipments through the Persian Gulf.

President Trump announced that the United States would protect commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened tanker traffic in the region.

President Trump also directed the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to provide political risk insurance for maritime shipping companies traveling through the Persian Gulf.

Politico reported the insurance program is designed to ensure vessels continue operating after some insurers canceled policies as fighting intensified.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration believes the president’s actions against Iran will ultimately strengthen global energy markets.

“I think it speaks to why this action was so necessary,” Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.

“Ultimately, the energy industry is going to benefit from the president’s actions with respect to Iran,” Leavitt said.

President Trump also warned that the United States could take further steps to ensure oil shipments continue moving through the strategic waterway.

“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” President Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

 

Dem Congressman Hardest Hit After Newspaper Digs Into Illegal Immigrant He Brought to the SOTU

One of the many idiotic stunts Democrats pulled during the State of the Union address in late February was to proudly announce they were inviting illegal immigrants to President Trump's speech.

 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called out three of them on X shortly before the event started: Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06).

Regarding Moulton's "guest," DHS wrote that "@RepMoulton plans to bring illegal alien Marcelo Gomes DaSilva. 

 

Gomes DaSilva is an illegal alien who has no right to be in our nation. We are committed to enforcing the law and fighting for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens like him."

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SEE ALSO:  Al Green Has a Normal One, Gets Deported From the SOTU - After Getting 'Stuffed' by Steve Scalise

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Gomes da Silva, who is 19, made it to the State of the Union...

...but Moulton ended up hiding him in his congressional office after seeing that tweet from DHS. Moulton posted this explanation on X at the time:

In an update to this story, the Boston Herald did some digging into Gomes da Silva, who, over the summer of 2025, became an activist and celebrity of sorts among Democrats, including Moulton and Gov. Maura Healey, after ICE detained him for several days when they were looking for his father (read the background on that story and why Gomes da Silva was released here).

The information the Herald found, while incomplete, is disturbing:

Congressman Seth Moulton’s illegal immigrant guest during the State of the Union address is referenced in police reports involving sexual assault and juveniles, police say.

The Herald submitted a public records request to the Secretary of State’s Office and the Milford Police Department regarding two reports, one from June and the other from September of 2021, where Marcelo Gomes da Silva was apparently named as the person of interest.

The Herald sought the police report numbered 21-23101 dated 9/15/2021 featuring Marcelo Gomes da Silva and 1-16254 dated 6/30/21 also featuring the 19-year-old.

Milford Deputy Chief John Sanchioni denied both of those requests, indicating that the police report from June 2021 “involves a sexual assault and juveniles,” and that the report from September 2021 “involves juveniles.” He did not elaborate.

"The Herald is appealing both the Milford Juvenile Court and the Milford Police’s denial of releasing Gomes da Silva’s background on the ground Moulton has turned the teen’s story into a public debate on ICE enforcement," the paper also noted.

As of this writing, Moulton has not publicly commented on the story, which is kind of interesting considering he repeatedly bragged about inviting Gomes da Silva to the SOTU and sharing his story. 

Editor’s Note: ICE and CBP continue to put themselves in harm's way in order to protect America’s sovereignty and to keep our streets safe. 

Busted: Despite Newsom's Denials, Logs Reportedly Show Dalilah Coleman's Dad Did Call Governor's Office

Dalilah Coleman was just five years old when she suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple skull fractures after an 18‑wheel tractor‑trailer driven by an illegal alien smashed into her family’s stopped car in Adelanto, California, in the Mojave Desert.

President Donald Trump highlighted the awful story during his February 24 State of the Union address,

 and following that, Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the “Dalilah Law,” which would bar states from giving CDLs to illegal immigrants, revoke all trucking licenses that are currently issued to illegals, and mandate that the CDL knowledge and skills test are only given in English.

But did California Gov. Gavin Newsom care about the plight of the young girl or contact her family? No, according to a new report from the Daily Caller, which states that not only did Newsom make no effort to reach out to them, but his denials that Dalilah’s father never wrote them are provably untrue:

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office claims it has no records of outreach from a family irreparably harmed by an illegal migrant truck driver, but phone records show otherwise.

Newsom staffers have repeatedly stated that their constituent affairs team has zero records of outreach from Dalilah Coleman’s family after she was struck by an illegal migrant trucker in June 2024 and left with life-altering injuries.

However, call logs obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation confirm Marcus Coleman, Dalilah’s father, reached out to Newsom’s office just days after the horrific crash and left a message.

Phone logs obtained by Daily Caller News Foundation say otherwise.

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MORE: 'Dalilah' Bill Banning Illegal Aliens From Getting Truck Driving Licenses Named After Young Crash Victim

Shocking Vid of Wrong Way Truck Driver in MO - 'Trucking Co.' Address Will Make Your Blood Boil 

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Dalilah’s father said it was like calling into a corporate phone bank where nobody actually cares about your issue, and most of the responses were likely generated by AI. That's my version of what he said; here's his:

“It would be equivalent to somebody cold calling because I called them and I explained to them what was going on,” Coleman told the DCNF. “They said that they would take the phone message, so I did that and then I also sent them an email, and then I received nothing back on either one.”

Gavin’s presidential dreams have taken numerous hits in recent months, and this will only add to the pile.

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THE TRUTH IS COMING OUT: Chevron Fires Off Blistering Letter to Newsom Warning Proposed Climate Policy Will Decimate CA

CA Governor Tries to Troll Trump Over Fuel Prices, but Is Savagely Brought Back to Reality by Gas Assoc.

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Why do writers like me keep attacking Gavin Newsom, many ask. Who cares? He's the failed leader of a failed blue-state administration. 

It’s simple: we’ve seen him destroy one of the formerly greatest states in the union, and we don’t want to see him take his America-last vision to the rest of the country. 

Despite his recent setbacks, he remains a threat to achieve a higher office — the presidency. If you don’t believe me, remember that Joe Biden was a laughable historical footnote before he miraculously earned a supposed 81 million votes in 2020 and proceeded to torture the country for four long years. 

Kamala Harris somehow garnered over 75 million votes in her failed '24 presidential campaign, proving that it's not just a California voter problem we face.  

And all along, Newsom has continued to ascend despite his record of staggering failure. 

This is yet another in a long line of instances where Gov. Hair Gel has been revealed to not actually give a damn about the Golden State or the people of California, but is only interested in how he can benefit himself and his political career.

Editor’s Note: California is the poster child for everything that is wrong with the Democrat Party and the “progressive” movement.

Hey, Rand Paul, Who's Giving You This Laughably Inaccurate Polling Data on Trump and Iran?

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is consistent. I will give him that, so I won’t give him too much grief here, but who the hell is giving this man his information? The Iranian airstrikes are not unusual with Republicans. MAGA is united behind the strikes. There are numerous polls showing that, but the man has a base, albeit a small one, and he does pick and choose his battles. On these issues, yeah, Rand will be Rand, but get with the program, sir.  

 Also, being in the company of Thomas Massie

 

 right now is not where you want to be. 

Where I will give Rand, some credit is that this isn’t anything new. We knew we would likely be against this operation; he’s very much his father’s son in that regard. The media, being anti-Trump no matter what, tried to manufacture this ‘split’ among the MAGA base. When mainstream outlets wreck the narrative, you know it’s crap. And if anti-Trump GOP outlets, who shall remain nameless, run with this shoddy pipe dream, then it’s for sure going to be crap.  

Could the strategic situation change? Sure, that’s a legitimate debate now that we’re in the thick of this operation, but to keep harping on bad polling. Move on, man. That horse has left the barn. 

Dmitri wrote yesterday that the MAGA base, well, loves Trump:

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all. 

 

Remember the Biden Autopen Investigation? There's Been an Update...and It's Not Good

We’re involved in military actions in Iran, including the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei. We’re also sourcing oil and minerals from Venezuela, Kristi Noem has been dismissed, and the fate of the SAVE Act remains uncertain. With the 2026 midterms approaching, these issues often get overlooked, and the results can be unfavorable. The investigation into Biden's autopen use has concluded, with the Justice Department quietly ending it, supposedly due to the lack of a suitable criminal statute to pursue charges 

 Federal prosecutors in U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office are dropping a criminal probe into whether former President Joe Biden and his aides unlawfully used an autopen to issue pardons, a person briefed on the matter told CBS News. 

Two sources confirmed the existence of the probe, with one telling CBS News that the matter has since been closed because prosecutors were never able to find a legal hook to be able to pursue the matter further. CBS News has not determined precisely when the case ended. 

Last June, President Trump ordered an investigation into whether the Biden administration used an autopen machine to sign key presidential documents like pardons — months after Mr. Trump had claimed his predecessor's pardons were illegitimate. 

Mr. Trump told Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House counsel in a memo to probe what he claimed was a "conspiracy" to "abuse the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden's cognitive decline." 

The order cited a number of executive actions by Biden, including pardons and judicial appointments, and argued "there are serious doubts as to the decision making process and even the degree of Biden's awareness of these actions being taken in his name."  

It suggested that if Biden's advisers "secretly used the mechanical signature pen," it would "have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions." 

So, what happens now? Well, for starters, questions will linger since we know Joe Biden was mentally incapable of doing the job, especially in his final year in office. The Rube Goldberg way of deciding pardons and commutations, for example, was especially eye-opening, as the then-White House Counsel’s office seemed unaware of who was actually under consideration. It was a circus, and the emails bear that out.  

So, just because the DOJ gave up, doesn’t mean independent reporters will stop digging.  

 

U.S. State Department: American-Venezuelan diplomatic, consular relations have been reestablished

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, shakes hands with US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum after their meeting at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on March 4, 2026.

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that diplomatic and consular relations have been reestablished between the U.S. and Venezuela’s interim authorities.  

“The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations,” the State Department emphasized in a statement.

The announcement comes after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum arrived Wednesday in Venezuela, meeting with acting President Delcy Rodríguez to discuss oil and mineral opportunities, according to Axios.

“Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government,” the department stated.

 

Rodríguez, formerly ex-dictator Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, vowed to cooperate with the Trump administration even prior to Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces in January, according to The Guardian.

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad as they are escorted to an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Monday. (Photo via: DEA)

 

Since 2019, diplomatic ties between the two nations have been severed and embassies shuttered. However, now that Maduro is out of the picture, a new chapter is beginning.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s executive branch, via Acting President Rodríguez’s official site, pledged renewed diplomatic and energy cooperation with the United States — emphasizing that this breakthrough paves the way for a stronger bilateral relationship, one expected to significantly bolster energy security throughout the region.

“Delcy Rodríguez, who is the President of Venezuela, is doing a great job, and working with U.S. Representatives very well. The Oil is beginning to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both Countries is a very nice thing to see!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday.

 

In a February statement, the State Department also said that the Trump administration is implementing “President Trump’s vision to reopen and develop Venezuela’s oil industry for the shared benefit of the American and Venezuelan people.”

“We built Venezuela oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us during those previous administrations, and they stole it through force,” Trump said in a press conference following Maduro’s capture.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, said “she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held in Venezuela,” according to AP News.

 

College Indoctrination Exposed: Bennett's Shocking Campus Interviews

On Thursday night’s Finnerty program, independent journalist Kaitlin Bennett brought raw, unvarnished campus reporting to a national audience, walking viewers through the disturbing results of her on-the-ground interviews with college kids about voter ID and the crisis in Iran. Bennett didn’t sugarcoat what she found, and she used the platform to force a conversation that the liberal media would rather sweep under the rug.

 The clips Bennett posted show the kind of vapid, ahistorical answers that conservatives have been warning about for years — students expressing bewildering opinions such as praising Iran or saying they’d relocate there because they believe it’s better for women. Those videos went viral because they exposed a problem that textbooks and campus talking points try to conceal: many young people on elite campuses are more indoctrinated than educated.

Kaitlin’s blunt conclusion — that far too many college students are simply not thinking — is the truth we need to hear, painful though it may be for the higher-ed establishment. Conservatives should applaud anyone brave enough to hold mirror to these campuses and say aloud what parents and taxpayers already suspect: universities are failing their basic mission of teaching critical thinking. There is nothing unpatriotic about calling out a broken system; on the contrary, it’s an act of love for this country and for the young people being betrayed.

If these interviews stunned you, they should have. For years the left has treated our colleges like factories for compliant voters rather than places that teach the fine art of rigorous debate and real history. The result is a generation raised more on grievance and slogans than on civic literacy and self-reliance — a perfect recruitment pool for radicals and foreign apologists who want to weaken America from within.

The conversation about voter ID that Bennett raised on Finnerty is especially important because it goes straight to who we trust with the franchise. When students can’t explain the basics of citizenship and voting but will happily echo talking points against ID requirements, it proves the urgency of common-sense reforms to protect our elections. America should insist on secure, transparent voting rules and stop allowing ignorance to be weaponized against the rule of law.

This is not a time for hand-wringing or meek apologies from conservatives; it’s a time for action. Defend parental rights, demand accountability from university trustees, and support candidates who will stop funding woke departments that push political litmus tests in place of real learning. If taxpayers are paying for colleges, taxpayers deserve classes that actually prepare students to be citizens — not activists in training.

Hardworking Americans know what’s at stake: the future of a free republic where truth matters and where loyalty to country comes before fashionable ideologies. Kaitlin Bennett did the job the mainstream press won’t — she held a camera up to our campuses and showed us the rot. Now it’s time for patriots to answer that call, to rebuild institutions that produce thinkers, workers, and defenders of liberty instead of pliant foot soldiers for a dangerous, anti-American agenda.

 

Megyn Kelly Calls Out Buttigieg's Phony Political Makeover

Megyn Kelly didn’t mince words this week when she watched Pete Buttigieg

 

 try on a new political persona and called out the whole exercise as phony,

 even resorting to labeling him “just sort of a P-word” on her show. Conservatives who remember Buttigieg’s 2020 charm offensive know this act: new look, softer language, same old liberal instincts.

 The signs of a rebrand have been obvious — from cosmetic changes like a new beard to performative moves on social media, including dropping pronouns on his X account, signaling an attempt to recast himself as less woke and more palatable to swing voters. Voters tired of theater should be skeptical: rebrands are often a veneer meant to paper over a record.

Kelly’s critique wasn’t just about aesthetics; she argued that the Democrats specialize in phony makeovers for politicians who can’t defend their records. That’s a fair charge when an elected official shifts branding as the calendar inches toward another presidential cycle instead of presenting clear, measurable accomplishments.

And this is where real conservatives should push back hard: look at the record. Buttigieg’s tenure at Transportation was repeatedly criticized for failing to fix supply chain bottlenecks and for lagging responses to transportation crises, evidence that slick messaging cannot substitute for competence. If the left’s favorite image consultants want to sell a new Pete, they’ll have to explain away those failures to hardworking Americans first.

Political makeovers rarely stick when they’re rooted in opportunism rather than conviction, and commentators on both sides are already sniffing a calculated repositioning ahead of future runs. Conservatives should treat these rebrands the way any savvy voter would: test them against policy, not perfume.

So here’s the patriotic, practical takeaway: call out the theater, demand accountability, and refuse to let slick PR distract from real outcomes. Megyn Kelly did the country a service by refusing to applaud a paper-thin rebrand, and conservatives ought to keep the pressure on until substance replaces spin.

 

CartoonDems

 

NATO Chief Rutte to Newsmax: Trump's Iran Mission Has Broad Allied Support

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told Newsmax on Wednesday there is "widespread support" among alliance members for President Donald Trump's campaign targeting Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, even as some European leaders have voiced public criticism of the operation.

 "NATO is not involved," Rutte told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren." "But obviously allies are basically, on a massive scale, supportive of what the president is doing and are also enabling what the U.S. is doing now in the region, taking out this nuclear capability of Iran and, of course, the missile capability."

Rutte said European allies have strong security concerns about Tehran, pointing to threats and assassination plots tied to the Iranian regime.

"Here in Europe, we know the impact of Iran and the negative impact they can have," he said. "Look at the assassination attempts in many NATO countries here in Europe, the Iranian diaspora. My own country [the Netherlands] being under constant threat from the regime in Tehran."

Despite criticism from some leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Rutte said NATO countries are providing "key enabling assistance" to the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran.

He also emphasized that NATO forces remain prepared to defend alliance territory as tensions escalate in the region.

"What we are doing at the moment as NATO is making sure that we, in a 360-degree way, defend every inch of NATO territory," Rutte said.

He pointed to a recent incident involving a missile threat toward Turkey, a NATO member and part of the alliance's collective defense system.

"You saw that this morning when news came in of a missile which was heading for Turkey and potentially impacting on U.S. interests in Turkey, taken out by NATO anti-missile systems," he said. "So, this is working. We are vigilant."

Rutte also addressed questions about NATO's mutual defense clause, known as Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

"For good reasons, we always will stay very ambiguous about when Article 5 is triggered," Rutte said. "We keep it very ambiguous because we don't want to make our enemies, our adversaries, any wiser."

He added that if Article 5 were invoked, the alliance would make that clear immediately. Until then, he said the ambiguity is intentional, designed to force adversaries to think carefully about the risks of attacking NATO interests.

"Our supreme allied commander, our senior military, but also, of course, all our men and women in uniform, we make sure that we can defend and will defend every inch of territory of NATO," Rutte said. "And in the meantime, we are very much with our friends and partners in the Middle East because we see these indiscriminate attacks against the UAE, against Bahrain, against Oman, against Saudi Arabia, against Kuwait, against other countries in the region. And we are very much with them.

"I'm in constant contact with them because we want to make sure that whatever we can do for them to stay safe, we will help them with."