President Trump to Host Oil Executives Amid Accusations of Consumer Gouging
President Trump is scheduled to host a meeting with U.S. oil refiners at the White House on Tuesday, August 31, 2026. This meeting comes after President Trump publicly accused refiners of 'gouging Americans' and called for a Justice Department investigation into their practices. The administration's goal for the meeting is to discuss expanding U.S. refining capacity and finding 'concrete, near-term steps' to increase capacity and ultimately lower gasoline prices for consumers. Gasoline prices have remained elevated, surpassing $4 a gallon, and August is projected to be the most expensive August on record for fuel prices. Major refiners like Marathon, Phillips 66, and Valero reported a combined $12.6 billion in second-quarter profits, benefiting from surging gasoline and diesel margins and increased demand from overseas buyers due to global supply disruptions. Notably, Exxon, the nation's third-largest refiner, was not invited to the meeting, following a previous incident where President Trump expressed dis... 
