US Gas Prices Under Trump Exceed Biden-Era Levels as Iran War Disrupts Energy Markets

The average US gasoline price during President Donald Trump's second term has surpassed Biden-era levels, according to a CNN analysis of AAA data, nearly eight months into a war with Iran that has destabilized global energy markets. The milestone comes ahead of midterm elections and marks a reversal of Trump's 2024 campaign pledge to restore sub-$2 gas. The national average for regular gas was $2.47 a gallon during Trump's first term. Prices spiked to an all-time high of $5.02 a gallon in June 2022 under Biden after Russia invaded Ukraine, but declined faster during Biden's tenure. The 2026 count of days with $4 gas or higher has already broken the Biden-era record. The White House has taken steps including releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, temporarily waiving the Jones Act and allowing red-dyed diesel for highway use. Tanker charter costs have surged from $65,000 a day last year to $1.6 million earlier this month, while damaged refineries in the Middle East and Russia and curtailed Chinese fuel exports have tightened global refining capacity.