Claim Check · Energy

“Gas prices hit an all-time record high this year.”

Circulating since the May 2026 price spikeChecked by The Baseline deskJul 2, 20263 sources1 min read

May 21, 2026 did set a record — for the Trump presidencies, at $4.56 a gallon. It was not an all-time record: June 2022 averaged over $5.00 nominal, and adjusted for inflation 2012 gas cost about $5.07 in today’s dollars. Prices have since fallen back to about $3.84.

The national average peaked at $4.56 per gallon on May 21, 2026 — the highest at any point during either of President Trump’s terms, which is the true kernel that gave the claim life. But “all-time record” fails on both measures that matter. In nominal dollars, June 2022 remains the record at over $5.00 a gallon. Adjusted for inflation, 2012’s $3.62 average works out to roughly $5.07 in today’s dollars — the real-terms record. By July 2, 2026, the national average had fallen back to about $3.84. A five-year high got marketed as a forever high.

Sources

U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices — U.S. Energy Information Administration
AAA Fuel Prices (national average) — AAA
Weekly gas price averages 2018–2026 — Finder

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