Trump pressures US petrol retailers to cut gasoline prices immediately

US President Donald Trump has demanded that petrol retailers in the United States cut prices immediately, warning of "big problems" if they do not comply. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, he said retailers should target around $2.50 a gallon and accused them of illegal gouging. He also singled out California, urging the state to lower its fuel taxes.

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Trump said gasoline retailers must get prices down "immediately" and told them to "drop your price for our great American people." He wrote that there would be "no gauging," which he described as totally illegal, and said retailers should react quickly to his statement. In the same message, he argued that California's tax on petrol was becoming higher than the product itself and said the United States would not stand for it. The intervention comes as petrol prices have surged after the US-Israel war on Iran, adding pressure on consumers and on the White House.

Trump has also pushed for more domestic fuel production and has invoked emergency powers to restart an oil pipeline in California that had been shut down after a major spill in 2015. Separately, he said last week that he had ordered an investigation into major oil companies over high petrol prices, accusing them of not lowering pump prices in line with falling oil costs. The latest comments place fuel prices at the centre of a broader political and economic dispute.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has been one of Trump's strongest critics in his second term, including over the president's support for fossil fuels. California is also continuing to expand renewable energy and has said it wants a carbon-neutral electricity grid within 20 years, underlining the policy divide between the state and the federal administration. Trump's pressure on retailers also reflects the wider sensitivity of fuel costs in the US ahead of November's mid-term elections.

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The president has repeatedly said that fuel prices would fall sharply, and his latest remarks suggest he is trying to show progress on a promise that affects millions of drivers. The focus on California is especially significant because the state has some of the country's highest fuel taxes and has often been a battleground over climate and energy policy. It remains unclear how retailers will respond, whether any federal action will follow, and whether the administration will pursue further steps against oil companies or state fuel policy.

The scale of any price changes will depend on market conditions, refinery supply and regulatory decisions. For now, the dispute adds to the political pressure around energy costs and the fallout from the conflict in Iran.

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