Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer interrupted President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser during a live discussion on Friday.
The adviser tried to blame rising gas prices on former President Joe Biden, while fuel costs surged amid the administration’s conflict with Iran. In the interview on America’s Newsroom, Hemmer questioned National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett about the future of gas prices after the national average for regular gas rose above $4 a gallon.
Things got heated when Hassett referred to actions the White House claimed it had taken to limit the price increase. This included releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and waiving the Jones Act for 60 days to make fuel transportation within the United States easier.
He then turned to Biden, stating that the former president had ordered the largest reserve release without any supply disruption, only to reduce gas prices before an election.
Hemmer interrupted before Hassett could continue. “OK, but that was then, and this is now,” Hemmer said in the interview. He noted the recent spike in West Texas Intermediate crude, which had jumped from $67 a barrel on February 27 to $111 on Friday. He asked what the economy could handle if prices continued to rise.
A Fox News anchor wasn’t even having Kevin Hassett trying to blame Biden for gas prices rising under Trump yesterday.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) April 4, 2026
Hassett responded that the economy still had strong momentum. He argued that the United States was in a better situation than during the oil shocks of the 1970s because it now produces much more of its own energy.
He claimed that the recent spike in prices was temporary and would ease soon. He added that futures markets indicated prices would return to normal later in the year. Hemmer closed the segment by pointing out that many Americans would be traveling over the weekend and experiencing the higher prices firsthand.
The disagreement came as fuel costs continued to rise across the country. AAA reported that the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.104 on April 4, the highest since August 2022.
The motor club stated the average had crossed $4 earlier that week, increasing by over $1 from a month earlier due to rising crude prices. The Associated Press also reported this week that U.S. gas prices had surpassed $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 amidst the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Average U.S. gas prices per gallon on April 2, per AAA:
• Unleaded: $4.08 (⬆️ $1.08 in one month)
• Premium: $4.96 (⬆️ $1.10 in one month)
• Diesel: $5.51 (⬆️ $1.77 in one month)
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 2, 2026
Hassett has been the director of the National Economic Council since Trump’s second term began in January 2025. He has been central to the administration’s public reaction to the economic consequences of the conflict.
His appearance on Fox represented a message the White House has promoted recently: that the surge in gas prices will not last and that markets expect the disruption to lessen. However, analysts believe that the disruption to gas prices will continue even when the war is over. Without a clear strategy and ever shifting exit date from the White House, the conflict could rage on for several months or perhaps years.
However, Hemmer’s interruption was notable because it occurred on a network that typically provides a friendly platform for administration officials.
Instead of allowing Hassett to keep discussing Biden, Hemmer redirected the conversation to the current costs drivers are facing. This shift kept the focus on the immediate impact on consumers at the pump, rather than on political blame.
