Where were you when Geraldo Rivera's 'The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults' aired live on April 21, 1986?
If you were like most Americans of the day, you were probably watching a daytime talk show host by the name of Geraldo Rivera step full-on to a bunch of rakes on national TV. The only time he was ever smacked harder in the face was during a taping of his show when he took a chair to the nose.
Never let it be said that Geraldo isn't consistent, though. The technology he uses may have changed, but he still finds all the rakes with his face.
Today, that trend continues.
Facing widespread and growing opposition to the war in Iran and the malignant cost of diesel and groceries, President Trump attacks the news media. It is classic gaslighting.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) September 22, 2026
Let's be honest, lower gas and diesel prices would be awesome! That said, let's be honest about something else. The Left running on making fossil fuels more affordable is a laughable premise at best and pure gaslighting at its worst. That didn't stop the guy best known for a chair to the face and opening an empty vault on national TV from chiming in, though.
However, Democrats have long argued that expensive fossil fuels can accelerate the transition to alternative energy. In 2008, CNBC's John Harwood asked Barack Obama directly whether high gas prices could help push that transition along.
Obama didn't celebrate the sudden spike — in fact, he said he would have preferred a "gradual adjustment" and acknowledged that the shock to Americans' pocketbooks was not good. But he also argued that adapting to those new circumstances could ultimately produce a more efficient energy policy.
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And let's not forget the Biden era. According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline hit a record $5.016 per gallon on June 14, 2022.
Someone needs a reminder…. pic.twitter.com/SggsAc0Qkg
— KatRozza (@RozzaKat13) September 22, 2026
Here's a nice graphic for those who don't like clicking links.
So much for not covering him.... pic.twitter.com/k0dwJ20BjF
— The Bloodstone™ 🎸 (@BS2KZ) September 22, 2026
This is also a rather valid point LOL!
So the more than a dozen refineries closed by democratic governors has nothing to do with fuel cost🙄
— Scott Dempsey (@Swampmuncher) September 22, 2026
Get him, Scott!!
You do understand that the cost of diesel is because of the Ukraine-Russia war? Not much to do with Iran.
— BALLS (@66Baller) September 22, 2026
To quote Reagan: 'Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'
Which brings us back to Geraldo.
He is free to blame Trump for today's fuel prices, just as his critics are free to point out that Americans have heard very different arguments about expensive energy before. But if we're going to call something "gaslighting," perhaps the entire historical record deserves a little light.
The choice this coming November is still yours, folks. If you think Trump should have been able to fix everything that was broken in less than two years, then by all means vote for the other side again. But remember, only one side is openly espousing communism right now.