Pain at the pump is caused by THIS one thing, says President Trump
Amid high gasoline and even higher diesel prices, Americans are feeling pain at the pump. According to President Trump, the culprit behind this price hike isn’t what you may think.
by Summer Lane | October 5, 2026
Gasoline and diesel prices fell over the past week as authorities have taken action to assuage widespread sticker shock, following months of volatility in the energy market amid the ongoing war with Iran.
For much of the conflict, the world has been focused on the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping corridor in the Middle East that has been threatened by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strait is responsible for the flow of about 20 percent of the world’s oil and LNG.
As the strait remained largely closed for months, oil prices skyrocketed around the world, but only recently has diesel climbed to all-time highs.
However, a new comment from President Trump is pointing to another source of global tension as the reason for higher prices: the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“What’s driving up Gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, ‘Refineries,’ where Russia’s are being blown up by Ukraine, and where ours are being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats,” the president argued in a Truth Social post.
Indeed, tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, thanks to the presence of the U.S. Navy fleet, has increased to about 80 percent of its pre-war level, according to the most recent reports. This is good news for the world.
According to GasBuddy, the average price for gasoline in the U.S. fell 12.5 cents over the past week ($4.30), while the average diesel price fell 14.2 cents ($6.30).
This relief may be temporary, said Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for the agency.
“The largest declines were seen in Georgia and Ohio, where recently enacted fuel tax cuts amplified the drop, while price-cycling Florida and much of the Midwest also joined the broader downward trend,” he said in a statement. “For now, declines may continue in a majority of states, though some price-cycling markets are at risk of an upward swing in gas prices in the days ahead. While oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, refineries behind the Strait are not yet fully able to move products through, keeping gasoline and diesel prices elevated relative to what crude oil levels alone might suggest.”
It is also worth noting that the U.S. government, as of last week, announced that it was willing to loan energy companies up to 40 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Reuters reported.
Photo: Adobe Stock
