PALM BEACH, Florida – As Operation Epic Fury against Iran continues to drive up oil and gasoline prices in America, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed on Sunday the increase was just a “short-term disruption,” expecting the price at the pump to come back down.
Appearing on “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News Channel, Leavitt said: “With respect to what’s happening with gas prices right now, this is a short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free flow of energy in the Middle East and in the Strait of Hormuz.
“And even with this short-term period throughout Operation Epic Fury, the president and his energy team are on the ball. They’ve announced political risk insurance for cargo vessels and oil ships that are going to be moving through the strait. They’ve announced that the U.S. Navy, if and when necessary, will escort those tankers to ensure that oil can move. The president is also tapping into our newfound market in Venezuela.”
.@PressSec: “@POTUS and his energy team are on the ball. They’ve announced political risk insurance for cargo vessels and oil ships…@POTUS is also tapping into our newfound market in Venezuela…This is a short-term disruption…but ultimately, taking out the rogue Iranian… pic.twitter.com/0gPhMMs0MQ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 8, 2026
“We’re seeing a slight increase in oil and gas prices, but ultimately, taking out the rogue Iranian regime is going to be a good thing for the oil industry and those prices are going to come back down just like they have over the course of the past year because of President Trump’s American energy-dominance agenda.”
Leavitt said the president is “watching everything,” and he “can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
“You saw him this past week at the White House hosting a Ratepayer Protection Pledge roundtable with Big Tech companies, A.I. companies, to talk about how they are picking up the cost of electricity bills across the country and American communities to drive down costs. The president inherited the worst affordability crisis in our nation’s history from Joe Biden, and look at the progress he has made in the course of the past year.”
While flying on Air Force One this weekend, Trump was asked about circumstances requiring the need for U.S. ground troops in Iran, and the president indicated the possibility, but only “for a very good reason.”
“I don’t even want to talk about it now. I don’t think it’s an appropriate question. You know I’m not going to answer it,” he told reporters. “Could there be? Possibly, for a very good reason. There’d have to be a very good reason. And I would say if we ever did that, they would be so decimated, they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level.”
Reporter: Mr. President, don’t you need ground troops to secure the enriched uranium at the nuclear sites?
Trump: We’re going to find out about that. We haven’t talked about it, but it was a total obliteration. They haven’t been able to get to it. And at some point, maybe we… pic.twitter.com/f9LR6BzIdn
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 7, 2026
On Sunday, Leavitt told Bartiromo that “President Trump wisely does not remove options off of the table.”
.@PressSec: “They have killed and maimed thousands of American soldiers, and @POTUS was not going to allow Iran to attack our bases, and our troops, and our men and women in the Middle East first — and that’s why he took this historic action by launching Operation Epic Fury.” pic.twitter.com/vaO4bsS9P7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 8, 2026
“It’s not part of the current plan right now,” she said, “but the president, again, wisely keeps his options on the table.”
Leavitt was also asked about Trump’s desire to add to the SAVE America Act two new provisions demanding no men in women’s sports and no transgender mutilation for children.
“There should be no pushback to any of the common sense proposals in the SAVE America Act,” she said. These are common sense proposals and policies that are backed by there vast majority of our country. Most Americans don’t want young children to be going through gender-mutilation surgeries.”
.@PressSec: “There should be no pushback to any of the common sense proposals in the SAVE America Act.”
“These are winning issues for the American people… and that’s why all members of Congress—Republicans and Democrats—need to pass the SAVE America Act as soon as possible.” pic.twitter.com/o0yau3uEtG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 8, 2026
“Most Americans don’t want men competing in women’s sports. These are winning issues for the American people. They are losing battles for politicians on Capitol Hill. And that’s why all members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, need to pass the SAVE America Act as soon as possible.”
As WorldNetDaily reported, Trump on Sunday said he would not sign any bills into law until the SAVE America Act is passed by the U.S. Senate.
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‘Supersedes everything else’: Trump won’t sign any other bills until SAVE America Act is passed
