President Donald Trump said Wednesday that while oil prices have fallen sharply, gasoline prices have not dropped as quickly as he believes they should ahead of the busy Fourth of July travel weekend.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump pointed to declining oil prices as evidence that drivers should soon see additional relief at the pump, while announcing what he described as a special effort by a fuel retailer to lower prices in the Philadelphia area as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.
“Just as I promised, Oil Prices are plummeting FAST, and Gas Prices at the pump are dropping too, but not as fast as they should be,” Trump wrote.
The president said a retailer he referred to as the “Freedom Fuel Network” plans to reduce gasoline prices at 25 stations throughout the Philadelphia region. According to Trump, the move is intended to help motorists traveling for the Independence Day holiday as fuel prices continue to fluctuate amid the conflict involving Iran.
“This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow,” Trump wrote. “They are doing this because they love the U.S.A.”
Trump also tied the announcement to the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial celebration, praising Pennsylvania’s historic role in the founding of the United States.
“We are proud to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Birthplace of our very special, one-of-a-kind Declaration of Independence, and where I won BIG in the Presidential Election!” he wrote.
The president concluded by expressing confidence that gasoline prices would return to the record lows seen before what he described as the nation’s “very successful ‘excursion’ in Iran.”
Trump’s Truth Social post also included what appeared to be an AI-generated image depicting a gas station branded with “Freedom Fuel Network” signage displayed on the station canopy and on pillars beside the fuel pumps.
The Hill reported that it contacted the White House seeking clarification about the “Freedom Fuel Network.”
The president’s latest remarks followed comments he made earlier in the week expressing frustration that fuel prices had not declined further after the United States and Iran agreed to a memorandum of understanding that paused hostilities for 60 days and largely reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
Iran had previously shut down the strategic waterway, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s exported oil and gas passes.
Earlier this week, Trump urged gasoline retailers to lower prices in response to falling crude oil costs and warned companies against engaging in price gouging.
“They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south,” Trump wrote in an earlier online post. “The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!”
According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States reached $3.84 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $67.66 per barrel, while Brent crude was priced at $70.71.
Although the memorandum of understanding led to a resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, tensions have continued in the region.
Iran has reasserted its authority over the strategic passage in recent days, followed by a brief exchange of fire between U.S. and Iranian forces over the weekend. The ceasefire resumed shortly afterward.
On Thursday, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command warned that oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz would face a “forceful response” if they failed to follow approved shipping routes.
