FACT CHECK #FP2LQGRD

WHAT WE FOUND

National average gasoline prices surpassed the $4.50 per gallon mark in May 2026 during Donald Trump’s second term 1 2 10. Following his inauguration in January 2025, when prices averaged $3.12 per gallon, fuel costs rose significantly, reaching $4.55 per gallon by May 8, 2026 4. Other reporting confirms the average hitting $4.54 earlier that same month 7. These price increases have been largely attributed to international shocks and geopolitical instability, specifically a war involving Iran 5 6 9. While the 2026 prices remained roughly $1 below the record peaks seen in 2022 under the previous administration, they successfully reached and exceeded the $4.50 benchmark as claimed 3 4 10.

SOURCES

1. 1 · houstonchronicle.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact check: Did gas prices drop 'substantially' last week, per Trump?

   TIER A

2. 2 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   PolitiFact | Trump is wrong: Gas prices have reached near record highs, not 'come down very substantially'

   TIER A

3. 3 · factually.coFACT-CHECKER
   How Do Gas Prices Compare Under Biden and Trump?

   TIER A

4. 4 · cnn.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact check: Trump posts wildly deceptive chart on oil prices | CNN Politics

   TIER A

5. 5 · factcheck.orgFACT-CHECKER
   gasoline prices Archives - FactCheck.org

   TIER A

6. 6 · newsweek.comWEB
   Donald Trump's Economic Approval Rating Plunges As He Calls Gas Prices 'Peanuts' - Newsweek

   TIER B

7. 7 · lcv.orgWEB
   Gas prices under Trump: it’s not just the Iran war making gas so expensive. Here’s the full story - League of Conservation Voters

   TIER B

8. 8 · forbes.comWEB
   Average Gasoline Prices Under The Past Four Presidents

   TIER B

9. 9 · fortune.comWEB
   Gas prices under Trump just hit a benchmark from the Biden inflation era | Fortune

   TIER B

10. 10 · wionews.comWEB
    Gas hits $4.50 a gallon as Trump's approval ratings sinks to record low ahead of US midterms

    TIER B

11. 11 · marketrealist.comWEB
    Comparing Gas Prices Under Trump to Biden’s Highest Prices

    TIER B