President Donald Trump is far more interested in soaking up praise overseas than easing the squeeze at home, as Americans keep side-eyeing skyrocketing gas prices in recent weeks. His decision to launch military operations against Iran has rattled global oil markets, sending fuel costs higher, wh ile his earlier push to topple Venezuela’s leadership — and tap into its massive oil reserves — still hasn’t translated into any real relief at the pump. His decision to launch military operations against Iran in February has rattled global oil markets and driven fuel costs higher, while the ongoing conflict followed the U.S. capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and a push to tap into the country’s massive oil reserves — moves that still haven’t translated into any real relief at the pump. President Donald Trump interrupted a White House meeting to hear more about a supposed statue being built in his honor instead of how to address rising gas prices. (Photo: NBC News) ‘We Are In a War’: Pete Hegseth Triggers Soldiers With New Demand as Iran Tensions Boil and Critics Say It Adds to a Pattern That’s Hard to Ignore Both military operations were main topics at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting at the White House, which included Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum giving an update on America’s relationship with another country. Burgum praised Venezuela’s government transition as a boon for U.S. business, saying it would strengthen ties and investment opportunities with American companies. Trump brought up Venezuela multiple times during the livestreamed event, claiming his administration has “done very well working” with South American president Delcy Rodríguez, and seemed only mildly interested in rising oil production — but he visibly perked up when Burgum recapped his trip and the potential gains from Venezuela’s energy sector. “[Secretary of Energy Chris Wright] and I have both had a chance to be there. I literally think they’re going to put up a statue of President Trump. And it’s not a political statement. It’s an actual thing,” Burgum told the former reality TV star. View on Threads Trump quickly cut off the former governor of North Dakota to say, “That would be a great honor.” As Burgum tried to pivot back to discussing “lowering the price of gas in America,” the president’s mind derailed his own meeting to fixate on what he thought was a bigger matter at the moment: the idea of someone building a Trump sculpture. “Forget that, when are they going to do the statue?” Trump blurted out, interrupting Burgum’s attempt to quell Americans’ concerns about surging gas prices. The room erupted in laughter as the POTUS and his collective of sycophantic advisors found the off-the-cuff quip hilarious. Meanwhile, online viewers saw no humor in Trump dismissing America’s affordability crisis to stroke his own ego. View on Threads “Then they laugh and clap like trained seals. Revolting,” expressed a disgusted Threads poster in reaction to Burgum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other Cabinet members cackling at Trump.  Another person on the social media platform had heat for the Trump administration officials by posting, “They all laughed, but he wasn’t joking,” which led to a reply that read, “But they’re dumb enough to think he was!! Ughhhh.” Some couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth as one said, “This is AI? [Did] he really say that?” One critic offered a sarcastic take on Trump prioritizing ownership of a statue of himself over relieving the financial burdens of his constituents: “Oh yeah, Americans suffering because of Trump’s complete incompetence is so hilarious.” The president is seemingly obsessed with receiving special honors he did nothing to earn, like his years-long fixation with winning the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize. One Threads user said, “He would step over the body of one of his children to collect his awards… He’s so damaged.” oh my goodness — watch Mike Johnson, Scalise, Emmer, and McClain clap like seals for Trump for nearly two minutes straight. None of them want to be the first to stop! pic.twitter.com/dmAEaVEfBs— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 9, 2026 Another exclaimed, “See, this is the problem, he says stupid ish, and they laugh. Which is exactly why we are currently the laughing stock of the world. This is incredibly sad and utterly disgusting!” Trump’s insatiable thirst to be excessively flattered by fellow global leaders, executive branch subordinates, the mainstream media, and members of his party. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and other high-ranking GOP operatives were recently filmed giving Trump an almost two-minute standing ovation as the billionaire swayed back and forth on stage to “God Bless the USA,” further fueling the bootlicking narrative connected to the MAGA movement.  Gas prices remain volatile, making the cost of living a central issue for many Americans heading into the 2026 mid-term elections. If Trump and his band of hangers-on choose to focus on self-aggrandizement rather than lowering the cost at the pump, the nation could see a purging of Republican representatives from Washington, D.C., this November. ‘Did He Really Say That?’: Donald Trump Derails His Own Meeting, Lets It Slip What Matters More Than Soaring Gas Prices, Viewers Are Outraged ...read more read less