Gas prices are still punishing American drivers, and Sen. Bernie Moreno has a blunt message for voters looking for relief: don't put Democrats back in charge.
The national average for regular gasoline fell nearly seven cents over the past week to $4.41 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. That's welcome movement at the pump — but hardly a victory lap. The price remains the highest ever recorded for this point in the year, while September's monthly average of $4.33 shattered the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023.
Moreno, speaking during Breitbart News' Fight Club roundtable, acknowledged the obvious before delivering his warning.
“We’ve got to go on offense and talk about all the great things we’ve done, and acknowledge gas prices need to be lower,” Moreno said.
Then he made the political argument at the center of his message.
“That’s a temporary situation that will resolve itself the second that conflict is down,” Moreno said. “Gas prices will crash, but again, if you’re mad about that and if you want gas prices to go down, the last thing you should do is allow Democrats to take office, because it’ll make it permanently high.”
Moreno pointed back to the Biden years as the Republican contrast, arguing that voters should view energy policy as a long-term economic question rather than simply watching the number on today's pump.
There is an important wrinkle, however: AAA attributes the current elevated prices primarily to crude-oil costs and volatility surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Its latest report says crude has dipped back into the $90-per-barrel range, helping push gasoline lower, even as prices remain unusually high for the season.
That makes the political fight over energy even more consequential. Gasoline prices are influenced by global oil markets, refinery conditions, seasonal demand and geopolitical shocks — not simply by whoever occupies the White House.
But Moreno's larger argument goes beyond the gas pump.
He urged Republicans to spend more time talking about what the Trump administration says it has accomplished, particularly its effort to reduce the federal workforce, modernize government and combat fraud.
“Look, we have almost 400,000 less federal workers,” Moreno said. “Even if you think the government’s working the same as it was before, that is a massive permanent tax cut to the American people, and we can accelerate that pace of innovation.”
For Moreno, shrinking government is not merely an ideological talking point. He connected it directly to the concerns conservatives have repeatedly raised about federal spending and the national debt.
“A big chunk of that is what the vice president’s doing, attacking fraud, hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said. “I often hear from many, many conservatives, rightfully so. What are we doing about the debt? What are we doing about lowering the debt, lowering our debt payments? Let’s get rid of fraud.”
And there is the broader America First argument: before Washington asks working Americans for another dollar, it should make sure it is not wasting the dollars it already has.
The gas-price problem will not be solved by campaign slogans alone. Oil markets remain global, and geopolitical turmoil can overwhelm domestic policy in a hurry. But Moreno is trying to turn the frustration at the pump into a larger debate over energy policy, government efficiency and fiscal accountability.
For Americans watching the numbers climb every time they fill up, the question is brutally simple: how much of their paycheck should disappear into an energy market affected by decisions made thousands of miles away — and how much unnecessary cost is being created by Washington itself?
Moreno's answer is straightforward: produce more, waste less, attack fraud and keep the government focused on the people who actually pay for it.
