Trump Revives Gas-Price Fight With Biden as U.S. Fuel Costs Surge Again

In a Truth Social post on September 20, Trump wrote that gas prices were “much higher under Biden than under ‘TRUMP,’” adding that almost all other prices were higher as well.

The statement arrived as motorists faced another sharp rise at the pump. AAA reported a national average of $4.48 for regular gasoline on September 21, up substantially from one year earlier.

Diesel prices have climbed even more dramatically. AAA listed the national diesel average at about $6.51 per gallon, the highest level recorded in its current national series.

 

 

Those figures create a complicated backdrop for Trump’s comparison. Regular gasoline is expensive today, but AAA’s record for regular remains roughly $5.02 per gallon, reached in June 2022.

Federal energy data tell a similar historical story. The U.S. Energy Information Administration recorded regular gasoline at about $5.01 per gallon during the week of June 13, 2022.

That 2022 spike came during Biden’s presidency, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lifted crude-market uncertainty while low gasoline inventories and relatively weak refinery utilization added pressure, according to EIA.

Prices later retreated from those peaks. By late 2022, EIA data showed national regular gasoline falling back toward the low-$3 range after spending much of the summer above four dollars.

Today’s surge has different immediate circumstances. Recent Associated Press reporting links higher American fuel costs to the continuing U.S.-Iran conflict and disruptions affecting global oil supplies and shipping routes.

Oil prices have remained elevated amid those tensions. AP reported in September that crude climbed above $100 per barrel as attacks and fears of additional supply interruptions unsettled global energy markets.

The result is renewed pressure on household budgets. Higher gasoline costs directly affect drivers, while elevated diesel prices can increase expenses for trucking, agriculture, construction and other fuel-intensive industries.

Trump has also argued that higher prices today should be viewed against what consumers experienced under Biden. That comparison, however, depends heavily on whether analysts use peaks, averages, or inflation-adjusted prices.

For gasoline specifically, Biden’s term included the historic 2022 regular-gas peak. But current diesel prices have moved above previous national records, meaning different fuels produce different historical comparisons.

The broader claim that almost all prices were higher under Biden is harder to summarize with one number because consumer prices cover hundreds of categories and normally change over time.

Economists also distinguish between the price level and the inflation rate. A slower inflation rate does not mean prices return to earlier levels; it means they are rising more slowly.

Fuel prices are especially volatile because presidents do not directly set them. Crude oil prices, refinery capacity, seasonal demand, taxes, transportation constraints and international events all influence what motorists pay.

That does not prevent gasoline from becoming politically powerful. Pump prices are unusually visible to consumers, appearing on roadside signs and changing frequently enough to shape perceptions of the broader economy.

AP reported growing frustration among voters as gasoline approached $4.50 nationally, with many households describing fuel as another strain alongside groceries, housing, healthcare and other living expenses.

The data therefore support different political talking points: the 2022 gasoline peak occurred under Biden, while September 2026 has brought another rapid increase and a new national diesel-price record.

For consumers, the clearest picture comes from separating political claims from the underlying data: regular gasoline remains below its 2022 national record, while diesel has reached a new national high.