President Donald Trump just delivered some rare good news for Christmas travelers with gas prices dipping below levels not seen in years.
From the White House on Thursday, Trump spotlighted a significant drop in gasoline costs across much of the nation, attributing the relief to his administration’s national energy emergency declaration, while regional disparities and future predictions paint a complex picture.
For hardworking American families, especially retirees on fixed incomes, this translates to real savings—potentially hundreds of dollars annually in reduced fuel expenses for holiday road trips or daily commutes.
Trump’s address underscored a stark contrast to the previous administration, where gas prices surged by as much as 50% under Biden’s watch.
With his emergency declaration, prices have plummeted to under $2.50 per gallon in many areas, a figure AAA confirms with a national average of $2.88 per gallon as of Friday.
GasBuddy data aligns closely at $2.87 per gallon, with a forecast of $2.79 by Christmas Day—now that’s a stocking stuffer worth cheering.
Yet, not every state is feeling the holiday cheer at the pump, as New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey hover near or above $3 per gallon.
Out West, California drivers are shelling out a whopping $4.32 per gallon, while Hawaii tops the chart at $4.47—blame it on distance, taxes, and unique fuel blends.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, boasts the lowest at $2.34 per gallon, proving proximity to Gulf refineries still matters, per the Energy Information Administration.
High taxes in states like Pennsylvania and California, as noted by the Tax Foundation, keep prices elevated, with Illinois nearing $3 per gallon despite cheaper neighbors.
California’s woes are compounded by strict environmental rules mandating a special gasoline blend, and with two refineries set to close soon, drivers in Nevada and Arizona might feel the pinch too.
“As a result of California government policies and regulatory actions, as well as years of politicians demonizing refiners and producers as ‘price gougers’ without economic proof, California is now facing a pending gasoline and aviation fuels crisis of potentially epic levels,” warned a report from last October.
Despite a 15% drop in the U.S. rig count, production keeps climbing thanks to smarter tech and field management—a win for an industry often hamstrung by overregulation.
“It's amazing what our industry can do when the regulatory burdens are lifted,” said Tim Stewart, president of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association.
While Stewart’s optimism is refreshing, let’s not ignore that global pressures like slowing demand in China and OPEC+ inaction could still throw a wrench in this low-price party—vigilance, not complacency, is the conservative way forward.
