“As millions of Americans travel this holiday weekend, they are feeling the cost of Biden’s policies at the pump. Gas prices are at their highest level in 7 years.”
— Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, in a tweet, July 3
“Nowhere are Americans feeling the pain more than at the pump. Gasoline prices have spiked about 70 cents per gallon since President Biden was inaugurated. They will only continue to climb.”
— Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), in a Fox News opinion article, July 2
“Average gas price: June 2020: $2.21 June 2021: $3.07 President Biden’s economy!”
— Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), in a tweet, June 21
It’s that time of year again: Gasoline prices have spiked, and politicians are trying to make political hay.
The Fact Checker has had to deal with this faux issue for decades. We wrote about it in 1996 when then-Sen. Bob Dole campaigned for president and urged a repeal of the 4.3 cent gasoline tax because gasoline then was on track to reach $1.31 a gallon. We wrote about it in 2000 when gas prices appeared to have popped to the highest level ever. We wrote about it in 2012 when Republicans misleadingly complained that gasoline prices had doubled in President Barack Obama’s term.
And here we are again. President Biden has been president for only six months, and somehow his policies have already led to high gasoline prices. Continue reading.