President Donald Trumphas continued to link higher gas prices to the war with Iran, saying he expects oil prices to fall after the conflict ends.
At the same time, Trump has argued that Americans faced even higher gas prices during former President Joe Biden's
administration. In a Sept. 20 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Gas prices were much higher under Biden than under ‘TRUMP.’ So were almost all other prices.”The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.43 on Sept. 17,according to AAA. That's more than $1 higher than a year earlier, but still below the all-time national average record of $5.01 set in June 2022.
Were gas prices higher under Biden?
Gas prices varied considerably during Biden's presidency, with some of the highest prices occurring in 2022.
The
average price for regular gasoline began 2022 at $3.28 a gallon and surpassed $4 a gallon in March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February contributed to a sharp rise in crude oil prices and uncertainty in global energy markets.
Low gasoline inventories and relatively low refinery utilization also contributed to higher prices, according to the EIA.
The national average reached $5.01 a gallon in June 2022 before declining during the second half of the year. By the end of December, the average had fallen to $3.09 — 19 cents lower than at the beginning of the year.
The EIA attributed the decline in part to increased refinery production and lower gasoline demand.
Gas prices today
The pattern in 2026 has been different.
Rather than reaching a summer peak and steadily declining, gasoline prices have climbed again heading into September. AAA reported a national average of $4.43 on Sept. 17, compared with about $3.65 during the same week in September 2022.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Trump claims gas prices were 'much higher' under Biden. Is that true?
