The recurring claims about gas prices

Sep 2026 – Oct 2026 "Lower than when Biden was president"

On Oct. 12, 2026, President Trump told an Ohio rally, "Remember, your prices – your gas prices – are lower than when Biden was president." CNN reported that he made versions of the claim on Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 3. He made a similar claim on June 9, saying gas was "lower than during the Biden administration," when CNN put the AAA national average at $4.16. CNN found that the AAA national average on Oct. 12, about $4.36, was higher than on all but 76 of Biden's 1,460 full days in office, and about 39% above the $3.12 average on Jan. 20, 2025. Biden's peak average was about $5.02 on June 14, 2022, per CNN. EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $4.354 for the week of Oct. 5, $4.331 for the week of Oct. 12 and $4.284 for the week of Oct. 19. This fits the thread as a claim that pump prices are low, made by comparison with a predecessor.

CNN article
The national average was higher than that on only 76 of Biden’s 1,460 full days as president.
CNN article
If you notice, the price is not very high, relatively speaking. I mean, it’s lower than during the Biden administration.

Sources: CNN reliable · keyt.com needs a second source · CNN reliable · eia.gov needs a second source · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #13

Sep 2026 "Below Two Dollars" after victory; "very inexpensive price to pay"

On Sept. 7, 2026, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "Oil prices will drop precipitously ... when we WIN the war with Iran," adding "Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon." Iran International reported that he said the decline would happen quickly. That day, Labor Day, AAA put the national average for regular at $4.15, a record for the holiday; the previous record was $3.82, on Sept. 3, 2012 (CNBC). AAA spokesperson Brittany Moye told CNBC that "this year's elevated crude oil costs have offset" the usual post-summer decline. EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $4.157 for the week of Sept. 7, $4.319 for the week of Sept. 14 and $4.478 for the week of Sept. 21. Campaigning in North Carolina later that month, Trump said of the war, "You have a little higher. It's a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done," according to an AP report published by Fortune on Sept. 20.

iranintl.com article
Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon.
fortune.com article
You have a little higher. It's a very inexpensive price to pay for what we've done,
cnbc.com article
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $4.15 on Monday, a record high for the holiday, according to AAA.

Sources: iranintl.com needs a second source · fortune.com reliable · cnbc.com reliable · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #12

May 2026 "Come down very substantially," the gas-tax holiday, and "peanuts"

On May 7, 2026, a reporter asked President Trump about the national average passing $4.50 a gallon. He replied, "They've come down very substantially today." PolitiFact rated this False. It said AAA's national average rose every day from May 4 to May 7 ($4.457 to $4.558), then fell about 1.2 cents on May 8. NPR reported that Trump called for a temporary waiver of the 18.4-cent federal gas tax, which would need an act of Congress. On May 18, asked about further steps on fuel costs, Trump said "This is peanuts." AAA put the national average at $4.55, up from $2.98 when the Iran war began in late February (TIME).

PolitiFact article
Gas prices have come down today. Have you looked? They've come down very substantially today.
NPR article
President Trump has called for a temporary waiver of the federal gas tax, which costs drivers 18.4 cents per gallon.
Time article
"This is peanuts," Trump said of the spike. "I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. It won't be much longer."

Sources: PolitiFact reliable · Time reliable · NPR reliable

Rerun #11

Mar 2026 – Apr 2026 National average tops $4; Democrats blame "Trump's Iran war"

On March 31, 2026, the national average for regular gas reached $4.02, according to AP and CBS. AAA said the national average exceeded $4 that week for the first time since August 2022. CBS reported that gas was up more than $1 from a month earlier, and AP said it was over a dollar more than before the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28. Democratic leaders blamed President Trump for the rise: DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene called it "another broken promise" by Trump and congressional Republicans (Fox News), and a Senate Democratic leadership press release said Trump "chose to illegally initiate a war with Iran and American families are paying for it — at the gas pump." The White House said the rise was temporary. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said prices "will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions" once Operation Epic Fury ends (CBS). EIA said that on March 30, 2026, the U.S. average retail gasoline price was $3.99 per gallon, the highest in real terms in over two years. EIA tied the first-quarter rise to "military action in the Middle East on February 28 and the subsequent de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz." AP described crude as "the main ingredient in gasoline," trading above $100 a barrel, up from about $70 before the war.

Fox News article
Democrats pounce on $4 a gallon gas, blame Trump’s Iran war for 'broken promise'
democrats.senate.gov statement
the national average price of gas has jumped from $2.93 to $4.01 per gallon in just one month
newsroom.aaa.com statement
The national average for a gallon of regular exceeded $4/gallon this week for the first time since August 2022.

Sources: Public Broadcasting Service reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #10

Feb 2026 – Mar 2026 Iran war begins; Trump predicts prices will drop after the war; 172-million-barrel SPR release

In his late-February State of the Union, Trump pointed to falling gas prices. PolitiFact said he exaggerated how low U.S. gasoline prices are. It also reported that the national average had fallen to $2.92 a gallon, from $3.11 at his January 2025 inauguration. After the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, Trump said on March 3 that there would be "a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before" (PolitiFact). In a March 4 article on a possible reserve release, PolitiFact noted that Trump had criticized Biden for releasing SPR oil and had promised as a candidate to refill the reserve. On March 11, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced a 172-million-barrel release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which the Energy Department said Trump authorized. In an interview with Cincinnati broadcaster WKRC reported by CNBC that day, Trump said: "I filled it up once, and I'll fill it up again, but right now, we'll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down." CNBC reported AAA's national average at about $3.58 a gallon, up from about $2.94 a month earlier, as the war disrupted global oil supplies. EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $2.937 for the week of Feb. 23 and $3.502 for the week of March 9, 2026.

PolitiFact article
a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before.
energy.gov statement
President Trump authorized the Department of Energy to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, beginning next week.
cnbc.com article
I filled it up once, and I'll fill it up again, but right now, we'll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down,

Sources: PolitiFact reliable · cnbc.com reliable · energy.gov needs a second source · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #9

Dec 2025 Trump's year-end address: gasoline "under $2.50 a gallon"

During the 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to bring gasoline prices below $2 a gallon (PolitiFact). In his Dec. 17, 2025 address, he said: "Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon, and in much of the country, in some states, it by the way just hit $1.99 a gallon." He also said that under Biden "gasoline rose 30 to 50%" and that prices were now "coming down fast" (FactCheck.org). FactCheck.org reported that EIA's average for regular gasoline was $3.11 when he took office and $2.90 the week of Dec. 15. It also said AAA showed no state averaging $1.99 as of Dec. 18; the lowest was Oklahoma at $2.34. PolitiFact reported in January 2026 that the national average was $2.78 in the second week of January and rated the $2 promise "Stalled." It also wrote that experts say one player's influence on the global crude market is limited, "even if the player is the president of the United States."

factcheck.org article
Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon, and in much of the country, in some states, it by the way just hit $1.99 a gallon.
ABC News article
I am bringing those high prices down and bringing them down very fast,

Sources: factcheck.org reliable · ABC News reliable · PolitiFact reliable

Rerun #8

Jul 2025 $1.99 today in five states

PolitiFact says Trump promised during the 2024 campaign that gas would fall below $2 a gallon if he were elected. On July 1, 2025, he said, "Gasoline just hit $1.99 today in five states," and added, "We just hit, in five states, $1.99, $1.98." AAA data cited by CNN put that day's lowest state average at about $2.71 (Mississippi) and the national average at about $3.18. The EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail price going into the July 4 weekend was $3.16, according to PolitiFact. PolitiFact rated the promise "Stalled," saying the national average had stayed between $3.04 and $3.21 during his second term.

ktvz.com article
Gasoline just hit $1.99 today in five states – $1.99, isn't that a nice sound?
Newsweek (pre–2013) article
Gas prices are at a 4 year low.
PolitiFact article
Almost six months into his term, Trump has not managed to turn the clock back to $2 a gallon gasoline.

Sources: ktvz.com needs a second source · CNN reliable · PolitiFact reliable · Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source · automotive-fleet.com needs a second source

Rerun #7

Apr 2025 – May 2025 $1.98 in some states

On April 17, 2025, Trump said at the White House: "You have gasoline that hit $1.98 yesterday in a couple of states." CNN reported that on April 16, the day Trump cited, the lowest state averages were $2.70 (Mississippi and Tennessee, per AAA) and the national average was about $3.17. CNN also reported that GasBuddy found zero stations selling for under $2 that day, citing its analyst Patrick De Haan. EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $3.168 for the week of April 14. Trump repeated the claim on April 22, saying it was because "we opened up our wells, we opened up our drilling." PolitiFact reported EIA's national weekly average for regular gas as $3.14 for the week of April 21, with Texas the lowest state at $2.66. Analysts quoted by PolitiFact said the recent drop came from OPEC raising production and trade-related worries about the economy, not from U.S. drilling. On May 2, Trump posted, "Gasoline just broke $1.98 a Gallon, lowest in years." CNN reported the AAA national average that day at about $3.18. This fits the thread's "prices have fallen or hit lows" and "policy will bring prices down" claims.

wral.com article
You have gasoline that hit $1.98 yesterday in a couple of states.
wral.com article
I see that we had a couple of states where gasoline was at $1.98 a gallon
cbsnews.com article
GasBuddy... told CBS News it had not found evidence of a gas station selling gas for $1.98 per gallon in April.
youtube.com video

You have gasoline that hit $1.98 yesterday in a couple of states.

Sources: wral.com needs a second source · wral.com needs a second source · cbsnews.com reliable · CNN reliable · CNN reliable · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #6

Sep 2024 Trump's "below $2 a gallon" campaign promise

Trump told the Economic Club of New York in September 2024: "Energy is going to bring us back. That means we're going down and getting gasoline below $2 a gallon." A McClatchy article published September 26, 2024 reported this, quoting GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan: "There's a zero percent chance a president can fulfill that promise." The article said the national average was $3.39 the previous month and had peaked at $4.93 in June 2022. It also cited EIA's estimate that crude oil was 56% of the July 2024 pump price, with taxes 15%, marketing 16% and refining 13%. EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $3.289 for the week of Sept. 2 and $3.185 for the week of Sept. 23, 2024. PolitiFact later rated the promise "Stalled." It reported the national average at $3.16 on the eve of the July 4, 2025 weekend, citing EIA. It also found that only 36 weeks since 2006 had sub-$2 gas, most of them during the 2008–09 recession and the early Covid pandemic.

aol.com article
That means we're going down and getting gasoline below $2 a gallon
Yahoo News article
There's a zero percent chance a president can fulfill that promise

Sources: aol.com needs a second source · Yahoo News reliable · PolitiFact reliable · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #5

Oct 2022 The last pre-midterm oil-reserve release and Biden's "down from over $5 when I took office" claim

On Oct. 19, 2022, less than three weeks before the midterms, Biden announced a release of 15 million barrels from the SPR. CBS reported that this completed the release of 180 million barrels he authorized in March. Biden said: "Gas prices have come down and they continue to come down again... But they're not falling fast enough." On Oct. 27 in Syracuse he said gas was "down from over $5 when I took office." PolitiFact rated that False, and CNN called it false. AAA data cited by CNN showed a $2.39 national average on Inauguration Day and a mid-June 2022 peak of about $5.02. The wave covers two parts of the thread: a policy claim (an SPR release meant to lower prices) and a claim that prices had fallen.

PolitiFact article
Today, the most common price of gas in America is $3.39, down from over $5 when I took office
wthitv.com article
Biden's claim that the most common gas price when he took office was more than $5 isn't even close to true.
ABC News article
With my announcement today we're going to continue to stabilize markets and decrease the prices at a time when the actions of other countries have caused so much volatility
youtube.com video

The most common price of gas in America is $3.39, down from over $5 when I took office.

Sources: PolitiFact reliable · wthitv.com needs a second source · cbsnews.com reliable · ABC News reliable

Rerun #4

Jun 2022 "Exxon made more money than God," the refiner letter, and the gas-tax holiday

On June 10, 2022, Biden blamed oil companies for high pump prices. He said at the Port of Los Angeles that "Exxon made more money than God," after a report showed inflation at a 40-year high (Bloomberg; Dallas Morning News). AAA had the national average at $4.99 a gallon that day (Dallas Morning News). On June 15 he wrote to refiners that above-normal profit margins being passed on to families "are not acceptable" (NPR). On June 22 he asked Congress to suspend the federal gasoline tax for 90 days, which PolitiFact said would lower pump prices by the 18-cent federal tax. Members of Congress, including some Democrats, were skeptical of the proposal (Roll Call). EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $4.876 for the week of June 6, $5.006 for the week of June 13 and $4.962 for the week of June 20, 2022. The wave covers two parts of the thread: who is to blame for high prices, and a policy said to bring them down.

Bloomberg article
We're going to make sure everyone knows Exxon's profits. Exxon made more money than God last year,
NPR article
At a time of war, refinery profit margins well above normal being passed directly onto American families are not acceptable,
PolitiFact article
In remarks on June 22, Biden called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for 90 days.

Sources: dallasnews.com needs a second source · The Hill reliable · rollcall.com reliable · PolitiFact reliable · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #3

Mar 2022 – Apr 2022 "Putin's price hike" and the 180-million-barrel SPR release

On March 8, 2022, after announcing a ban on Russian energy imports, President Biden blamed rising pump prices on Russia. CNN reported that he "repeatedly laid the blame for 'Putin's price hike' on Russia" and cited a 75-cent rise in regular gasoline since the invasion. According to CNN, Republicans blamed the Keystone XL cancellation and pauses in oil and gas leasing on public lands, and Sen. Roy Blunt said Biden's policies had directly produced a record price of $4.17 per gallon. On March 31, Biden announced a release of 180 million barrels from the SPR over six months, which PBS called "the largest release in U.S. history." On April 12 in Iowa, Biden again blamed "Putin's Price Hike" and announced an emergency waiver allowing E15 sales in the summer; the White House said the waiver would lower prices by 10 cents a gallon (ABC).

CNN article
The decision today is not without cost here at home. Putin's war is already hurting American families at the gas pump,
Public Broadcasting Service article
At one million barrels per day, that is the largest release in U.S. history.
ABC News article
Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should on hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away,

Sources: CNN reliable · Public Broadcasting Service reliable · ABC News reliable · usafacts.org needs a second source · eia.gov needs a second source · eia.gov needs a second source

Rerun #2

Nov 2021 – Dec 2021 Gas prices: Trump's "$1.87" claim, Biden's SPR release, and the Keystone XL post

On Nov. 23, 2021, the Biden administration announced a 50-million-barrel release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, coordinated with India, China, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. Energy Secretary Granholm said the action "underscores the President's commitment to using the tools available to bring down costs for working families." CNBC reported AAA's national average at $3.409 a gallon on Nov. 22, up from $2.11 a year earlier. In Fox News interviews that aired Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, former President Trump said gas was $1.87 (later "$1.83 or $1.86") when he left office. CNN reported that AAA's national average for regular on Jan. 20, 2021, was $2.393. A Nov. 19 Facebook post blamed Biden's cancellation of Keystone XL for U.S. prices. PolitiFact rated it False, noting the pipeline was not operating.

wral.com article
Look, when I left, gasoline was $1.87. That was a year ago. And now, it's I guess just hit $7.50 in California, the rest to follow...
cnbc.com article
In total the U.S. will release 50 million barrels from the SPR.
PolitiFact article
Gasoline in Russia $2.10, Kuwait 78 cents, Saudia (sic) Arabia 98 cents. Nobody shutting pipe lines down there.

Sources: cnbc.com reliable · wral.com needs a second source · PolitiFact reliable

Rerun #1

Apr 2018 Trump blames OPEC for "artificially Very High" oil prices

On April 20, 2018, Trump tweeted: "Looks like OPEC is at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!" His tweet came as OPEC representatives met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to hold down production and keep prices up (CBS). CNBC reported that WTI crude hit a three-year high above $69 a barrel that week. CNBC's year-end review of his OPEC tweets said "Trump has blamed OPEC for higher oil prices, especially at times when his decision to restore sanctions on Iran was pushing up the cost of crude." EIA's weekly U.S. regular retail gasoline price was $2.747 for the week of April 16 and $2.798 for the week of April 23, 2018. EIA says retail gasoline prices "tend to gradually rise in the spring and peak in late summer," and that summer-grade gasoline requires less evaporative but more expensive components.

cnbc.com article
Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!
cbsnews.com article
Oil prices dropped Friday from three-year highs after President Trump said in a tweet
cnbc.com article
Trump has blamed OPEC for higher oil prices, especially at times when his decision to restore sanctions on Iran was pushing up the cost of crude.

Sources: cnbc.com reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · cnbc.com reliable · eia.gov needs a second source · eia.gov needs a second source