The following is the transcript of the interview with Energy Secretary Chris Wright that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Oct. 4, 2026.
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that → follow → Oct.
We begin with one of the Trump administration officials tasked with working to lower those high gas and oil prices, Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
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We → begin → prices
So, it's good to have you here.
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it → have → you
You said this past week that Americans can expect lower gasoline prices and diesel prices by election day.
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Americans → say → day
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has a piece outlining that the campaign to squeeze around financially is working, but they can still knock out significant Gulf energy infrastructure.
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they → have → infrastructure
They could be planning an October surprise before the U.S. midterms.
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They → plan → midterms
We are still seeing Iranian attacks on ships now.
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We → see → ships
I mean, how can you be so confident prices are headed down?
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prices → mean → ?
Well, because we've got increasing supplies coming out of the Strait of Hormuz and they've continued to rise over the last months, over the last recent weeks.
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they → get → weeks
We've got U.S. gasoline production today at record high.
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production → get → record
We have demand for gasoline, as we come out of the summer driving scene, starting to go down.
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we → have → scene
Diesel's mostly been infected by the Russia-Ukraine war and also by China's decision not to export diesel or gasoline into the marketplace.
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Diesel → infect → marketplace
And of course, we're living with two refineries that were recently closed, large refineries in California that Gavin Newsom forced the closure of.
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Newsom → live → closure
And frankly, 15 years of Democrat policies that have been energy subtraction, trying to close coal plants, close refineries, and shrink our capacity.
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that → try → capacity
Which means when you get in crisis, we're just less resilient than we should be.
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we → mean → crisis
But you still think that in the next four weeks prices are going to go down?
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prices → think → weeks
Diesel prices have been going down.
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prices → go → ?
Gasoline prices have been going down.
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prices → go → ?
I expect that to continue.
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that → expect → ?
I want to talk about diesel in a minute, but I- I was reading that the U.S. was sending more defensive equipment to the Gulf countries to protect their oil infrastructure.
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U.S. → want → infrastructure
I see there was a gathering of national security advisers at Camp David on Friday to talk about Iran and the conflict in Yemen.
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I → see → Yemen
Can you share any outcome from that?
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you → share → that
I mean, is- is the U.S. about to escalate?
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U.S. → mean → ?
We did just see a third carrier strike group get sent to the region.
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group → see → region
Look, the president has- has taken a strong stand that Iran, the world's greatest terrorist regime- regime, cannot and will not have nuclear weapons.
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Iran → look → weapons
So, of course, we're looking at every avenue to achieve that goal economically, to be prepared for what comes militarily.
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what → look → goal
But we cannot pass to the next administration an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.
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we → pass → weapons
Right, but he's also said that they're not seeking a nuclear weapon.
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they → say → weapon
He said that just the other day that they might have actually already stopped.
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they → say → ?
But in the immediate sense of threats to our neighbors who have refinery and production capacity, how do you guarantee that there is no October surprise that sends those prices going the opposite direction?
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prices → have → capacity
But everything we're doing is to grow the supply of diesel, to grow the supply of gasoline, and frankly, again, to reverse years of policies that have been directed exactly the opposite, to shrink our ability to produce, refine, and deliver hydrocarbons.
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that → do → hydrocarbons
Can you say whether the president has decided he will escalate post-election day?
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he → say → ?
That's when that third carrier strike group will be arriving, mid-November.
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group → arrive → ?
Oh, I'm definitely not going to get in front of presidents' plans or policies.
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I → go → plans
MARGARET BRENNAN: He'd thrown that out there himself.
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He → throw → that
He's- he's always planning for contingencies and he's always negotiating.
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he → plan → contingencies
How you communicate, what you- what you lean in on, it sends a message to the other side.
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it → communicate → side
He's been a master, a master at doing that.
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He → do → that
So he's got both tracks still going, diplomatic and military pressure?
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tracks → get → ?
Okay, you talked about diesel.
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you → talk → diesel
…and 59 more, not listed.
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