Amid high gas prices, Pete Buttigieg slammed for telling Americans to switch to electric cars

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was slammed on Twitter for "bragging" about ways to get "most Americans" to use electric vehicles. (Fox News)

Critics heaped scorn upon a clip showing Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg excitedly talking about the prospect of "most Americans" switching to electric vehicles due to high gas prices.

During the short clip, which was taken from a Thursday interview between the government official and radio show BigBoyTV, Buttigieg discussed how the U.S. government is looking to cut the cost of electric vehicles so that more Americans will buy them and get out of paying so much for gas.

All smiles, Buttigieg claimed, "We’re for cutting the cost of electric vehicles, because when you have an electric vehicle then you’re also gonna be able to save on gas, but you’ve got to be able to afford it in the first place."

Buttigieg continued, "Now we’re actually starting to see on some models, the cost come to where, even if your car payment’s a little higher, your gas payment will be a little lower and you come out ahead."

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Nancy Pelosi said on "Morning Joe" on Tuesday that high gas prices were mostly due to the war in Ukraine.  (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The clip ended with him claiming, "But the prices still need to come down for most Americans to be able to get an EV."

For Americans angry at Biden’s energy policies – which critics claimed seem to have followed through on his campaign promise to get Americans off fossil fuels – Buttigieg’s statements added insult to injury.

The official Twitter account of the Republican Party seized on Buttigieg’s statements, writing, "Don’t forget, with the Biden administration the pain is the point."

Businessman and BurnRate CEO Robert McLaws made several crucial points in response to Buttigieg’s clip, tweeting, "1) Imagine Texas’ grid problems if they went 100% electric vehicles. 2) Without nuclear, where is this electricity going to come from? Answer: coal. 3) Meanwhile, how do we get people to buy electric cars when insane inflation means they can’t even afford food or housing?"

Author Denise McAllister warned voters to remember Buttigieg’s statement when he runs for President of the United States, a prospect she lamented. She tweeted, "Remember this when Pete campaigns to be president in the future. A race he’ll likely win — unfortunately."

NO MORE ‘PARIAH’ STATE AS BIDEN SEEKS HELP FROM THE SAUDIS AS GAS PRICES SKYROCKET

DEARBORN, MI. MAY 18, 2021 -- President Joe Biden and Linda Zhang, Ford’s chief engineer, F-150 Lightning, with the all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. Photo by Sam VarnHagen. (Ford)

Congressman Dan Bishop, R-N.C., slammed Buttigieg, tweeting, "What a joke. We have the capacity to produce reliable energy right here at home, but the Biden administration would rather destroy our economy to promote their delusional ‘green’ fantasy."

The Republican National Committee Research team Twitter account shared the clip and accused Buttigieg of "bragging" about this policy. It tweeted, "Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg brags about how high gas prices are forcing people to electric vehicles."

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U.S. congressional candidate for the state of Minnesota, Shukri Abdirahman, flayed the Transportation secretary on the platform, tweeting, "Hey, Pete. Not all of us make $221,400 a year to rush off onto maternity to chestfeed babies, declare highways racist and ignore supply chain crises like you. Makes me think you're perfectly content to see gas at $5, even $7 in some places, just so you can plug electric cars."

Buttigieg recently told hip hop radio show BigBoyTV that Americans could cut back on gas spending by buying electric vehicles. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)