The Briefing with Jen Psaki Trump team struggles to spin soaring gas prices as panic sets in
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May 8, 2026 
John Brennan, former CIA director offering rapid-fire analysis of U.S.-Iran naval clashes and intelligence assessments. Eric Holder, former U.S. attorney general and voting-rights advocate, on Southern redistricting and legal strategies to protect Black representation. They discuss rising gas prices, White House messaging, ceasefire credibility, and fights over maps and voting access.
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Rising Gas Prices Now Acknowledged As Political Problem
- The Trump White House belatedly recognizes rising gas prices are a political liability tied to the war with Iran.
- Jen Psaki cites multiple polls showing majorities blame Trump and links the spike to 68 days into the conflict that pushed national averages above $4.50 per gallon.
Urgent Redistricting Moves During Crises
- State legislatures rushed to pass gerrymanders during natural disasters and emergency sessions, signaling political urgency.
- Psaki highlights Alabama lawmakers redrawing maps during floods and tornado watches and Tennessee erasing a Black majority district in one push.
How To Push Back Against Redistricting Attacks
- Fight gerrymandering both in courts and through civic organizing rather than waiting for courts alone.
- Eric Holder urges voting, organizing, state-level ballot measures, and pushing for federal bans on partisan racial gerrymandering.