US gasoline prices under Trump have exceeded the level during Biden's tenure
During Donald Trump's presidency, the average price of gasoline in the US has exceeded the figure from Joe Biden's four-year term in office. Diesel has also become more expensive, and fuel prices are turning into a political problem for Trump on the eve of the midterm elections.
Under Trump, US gas prices have risen even higher than under Biden
Donald Trump had repeatedly blamed former President Joe Biden for all problems, ranging from the war in Ukraine to the high cost of living in the US. However, less than two years after Trump returned to the White House, the average price of motor fuel during his term has exceeded the figures from his predecessor's four-year presidency.
Since Trump took office, the average retail price of gasoline has stood at $3.472 per gallon ($0.92 per liter), while under Biden this figure was $3.471.
Current prices at American gas stations vary sharply from one another. According to AAA, the nationwide average price is $4.266 per gallon; the most expensive gasoline is sold in California in the western US ($5.996), and the cheapest is in the east — in North Carolina ($3.463).
Under Trump, the average price of diesel surpassed the figures from the Biden era even earlier and currently stands at $4.343 per gallon, whereas under the previous president this figure was $4.078. Current prices are one and a half times higher than the averages: a month ago, the price of diesel fuel at US gas stations reached a record $6.523 per gallon.
Although an energy crisis occurred in 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fuel prices under Biden did not rise as much as they have this year. Despite crude oil becoming sharply more expensive, nothing hindered the production and supply of gasoline and diesel. Even the European Union introduced an embargo on Russian fuel imports only starting in February 2023.
In 2026, on the contrary, despite the war of the US and Israel against Iran and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, crude oil prices did not rise that sharply. However, the suspension of petroleum product exports from Middle Eastern countries led to a sharp increase in their prices on the global market.
High fuel prices have become one of the main topics on the eve of the US Congressional midterm elections. Having failed to defeat Iran in a single blow, Trump now does not know how to end the war, and to lower prices, he agreed to buy diesel from Russia. This decision contradicts the law passed by Congress in 2022 imposing an embargo on Russian energy resources. For this reason, Trump's decision met with sharp criticism from representatives of both parties and experts — moreover, this measure is unable to lower diesel prices on the American market.