Trump Reverses Stance, Orders All US Petrol Stations to Cut Fuel Prices
US President Donald Trump has performed a dramatic U-turn, ordering all fuel retailers in the country to immediately lower petrol prices after previously claiming he was unconcerned about rising costs. In a forceful statement, Trump warned of legal consequences and major trouble for businesses that engage in illegal price gouging at filling stations. According to a report by Al Jazeera, this unilateral market intervention from the White House has emerged amid a surge in domestic petrol prices following the outbreak of war between the US-Israel alliance and Iran. Trump urged petrol station owners to respond swiftly to his warning and set a new price target, insisting that fuel should only be priced around $2.50 per gallon to ease the burden on the public. “Gasoline Retailers must lower their Prices, IMMEDIATELY. There will be no gouging, which is totally illegal. If Retailers do not do this, big trouble awaits! Start targeting around $2.50 per Gallon,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. He added, “Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right – LOWER YOUR PRICES FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!” Trump specifically targeted California, urging local authorities to cut what he described as excessively high petrol taxes. He claimed the policy has caused suffering for residents, noting that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is one of his harshest critics, particularly regarding California’s ambition to transition to a carbon-neutral electricity grid within the next 20 years. “Soon the Tax will be higher than the Product itself, and the United States will not allow it, nor will the People of California, who are being abused by this ridiculous Tax, and by their own Government,” Trump charged. To boost domestic fuel supply, the Trump administration has already used emergency powers to reactivate an oil pipeline in California that had been closed since 2015 due to a massive leak. Not only targeting small retailers, Trump confirmed last week that he has ordered the Department of Justice to investigate major oil corporations for failing to lower consumer prices despite a sharp drop in global crude oil costs following peace negotiations. “Big Oil companies are not lowering their prices at the pump in proportion to the sharp drop in the price they pay for Oil. Prices have dropped like a rock! In other words, customers are being ripped off. I have instructed the Department of Justice to immediately begin investigating this,” Trump stated. Political analysts view this pressure as closely tied to preparations for the upcoming US midterm elections in November. Amid public criticism over the rising cost of living due to the Iran conflict, Trump has repeatedly assured that fuel prices will plummet once the Middle East conflict ends, though several economic experts have refuted this claim and predict a heavier long-term inflationary impact on the US economy.