Gas Prices have become a major point of political debate as President Donald Trump claims Americans are paying less under his presidency than they did under Joe Biden. “Gas prices were much higher under Biden than under ‘TRUMP.’ So were almost all other prices,” Trump said.
The gasoline and diesel figures do not support the first part of that claim. Regular gasoline averaged about $3.11 per gallon when Biden left office, while current AAA figures show a national average of approximately $4.48. Diesel has moved even more sharply, from roughly $3.72 per gallon at the end of Biden’s presidency to about $6.51 as of September 20, 2026.
The Pump Tells a Different Story
Gas Prices are currently substantially above the levels recorded when Biden left office. AAA reported a national regular-gasoline average of $4.4761 on September 20, while diesel reached $6.5050, its highest recorded national average in AAA’s data.
Using the figures cited in the comparison, regular gasoline is approximately $1.37 per gallon higher today than the roughly $3.11 figure at the end of Biden’s presidency. Diesel is about $2.79 higher than the roughly $3.72 figure. That represents increases of roughly 44% for gasoline and 75% for diesel.
The increase has occurred amid a major global energy shock. AAA said in September that crude oil remained elevated and that volatility surrounding the Strait of Hormuz had pushed oil prices higher. More recently, the Associated Press reported that the national gasoline average had reached about $4.48 as Americans faced growing financial pressure from rising fuel costs.
What About “Almost All Other Prices”?
Gas Prices are only one component of Trump’s much broader claim that “almost all other prices” were higher under Biden. That assertion also requires qualification.
FactCheck.org’s September review found that the Consumer Price Index had increased 3.4% over the 12 months ending in July 2026, compared with an annualized 3.0% rate when Trump inherited the economy. The review also found that average grocery prices increased 3.35% between January 2025 and July, while energy costs rose 14.7% over the preceding year, including a 24.6% increase in gasoline.
That does not mean every individual product is more expensive today than it was under Biden. Some prices have fallen, and prices under Biden themselves rose substantially during his term. But Trump’s sweeping claim that gasoline and “almost all other prices” were higher under Biden does not match the current fuel-price data or the broader inflation figures cited by independent fact-checkers.
For the most concrete part of the statement — gasoline and diesel — the comparison is straightforward: the national pump prices are currently higher than they were when Biden left office. The numbers therefore contradict Trump’s claim that gas prices were “much higher” under Biden than under Trump.
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