American drivers pay 45 percent more to fuel their daily commutes since President Joe Biden ascended to the White House, AAA data shows.
The national average gas price on Monday was $3.46 per gallon, according to AAA, up about 20 cents from last month.
When Biden assumed office, the national average was $2.38 per gallon, more than a dollar less than the current price. That is about a 45 percent increase since former President Donald Trump left office.
Gas prices are high by historical standards — and not just compared with the very low gas prices seen during the pandemic lockdowns, when the weekly national average gas price fell below $1.80. In 2018, gasoline averaged around $2.72 per gallon. The following year, the average was $2.60.
Gas prices remain high and could go higher due to industry and political factors. Biden’s economic war on American energy independence during instability in the Middle East and in Ukraine are significant factors.
GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan said the increased price of gas is attributed to seasonal demand. But consumers say the prices are not easy to accept.
“I need to fill up … yeah, I’m kind of getting used to it though,” Jessica Martinez, told NBC 7’s in Mission Valley, California.
“Am I filling it up? No, I’m not filling it up all the way,” said Galina Betker, who drives to visit her family every weekend. “It is a new expense, honestly.”
In Central Florida, prices surged last week to set a new high for 2024. “The jump at the pump may not be over yet,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. “Drivers may be in line for another round of rising prices, after gasoline and crude oil futures rose to new 2024 highs last week.”
According to AAA, the top ten states with the largest increased gas prices are:
- Texas (+10 cents), Alaska (+10 cents), Oregon (+9 cents), Washington, D.C. (+9 cents), Utah (+8 cents), New Mexico (+8 cents), Washington (+8 cents), Montana (+7 cents), Arizona (+6 cents) and Idaho (+5 cents).
The nation’s most expensive markets to fill a tank of gas are:
- California ($4.87), Hawaii ($4.71), Washington ($4.24), Nevada ($4.14), Oregon ($3.98), Alaska ($3.76), Illinois ($3.70), Arizona ($3.64), Washington, D.C. ($3.57) and Pennsylvania ($3.50).
⛽️ When Biden took office, the nationwide average for regular gas was $2.39/gal.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 18, 2024
Today, it’s $3.46/gal — a 45% increase.
That’s Bidenomics! pic.twitter.com/PCKZn8KD6o
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former GOP War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.