Can We Blame Gas Prices on the President?
By Holly Carr, Staff Writer
As of Oct. 1 the gas price average is $3.93 for regular and $5.79 for diesel according to gasprices.aaa.com The belief that President Donald Trump played a major role in controlling gas prices is a common belief. However this belief is untrue.
Democrats often blame the president when a Republican president is in the White House but not when a Democrat is in the White House. The same applies to Republicans when a Democrat is in the White House. “People tend to pick and choose what to believe based on their own views and opinions rather than by some form of logic,” Ashlyn Belote, a Senior journalism major said.
During the beginning of the year, gas prices became noticeably high once again, a primary reason was the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, on Feb. 28, 2026, ordered by Trump. This conflict is still ongoing and has entered its seventh month this October. The topic of conversation has been brought up on social media, with local residents such as Juan Agosto from Nolanville posting, “Yeah, it’s reasonable to blame the president for gas prices, the president started a war with a country that has 25% of the world’s oil reserve.”
When asked about President Trump’s involvement in the Iran conflict, U.S. and Israeli officials have stated that the military actions represent lawful collective self-defense, and an ongoing continuation of a decades-long conflict rather than a new war. “In truth, the United States is acting well within the recognized contours of international law relating to the use of force and self-defense,” State Department Legal Adviser Reed Rubinstein said in a statement on the Iran war. However, Iran has long denied accusations by the U.S and Israeli powers that they are seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Criticism against the president is not limited to current President Trump, as during Joe Biden’s presidency in 2022, gas prices reached up to $5 for Regular gas, according to data.tennessean.com statistics. Many people blamed President Biden for high gas prices primarily due to a mix of political messaging, and public perception of presidential power.
“I think blaming presidents for the situations surrounding their economies and gas prices is reasonable. Later into a presidency I think you can definitely start to criticize harshly based on said president’s actions and policies.” Warren Towery, an online commentator said.
Many factors play into why gas prices rise. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a shift that happened and gas prices fell due to people working from home and mandated distancing measures. However, when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted people began using vehicles again, causing prices to spike due to the demand overwhelming the supply of gas. In 2024, gas prices had leveled out with an average being 20 cents less per gallon compared to 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Ultimately, the concept of blaming a president for gas prices is a complex issue primarily driven by global supply and demand rather than direct control.
