Administration

Trump: Federal gas tax pause ‘a great idea’

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by Marcus Espinoza - 05/11/26 12:52 PM ET

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by Marcus Espinoza - 05/11/26 12:52 PM ET

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(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump confirmed reports that he aims to pause the federal gas tax as prices remain elevated during the war with Iran.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Trump told CBS News.

The gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. Trump will need an act of Congress to suspend the tax, but some Democrats have been warm to the idea.

“All measures that can be taken to lower the price at the pump and lower the prices for Americans, this administration is in support of,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC on Sunday. “We are constantly looking for different ideas, and we’ve taken a number of actions.”

Wright’s comments come as gas prices continue to climb. According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline remained at $4.52 a gallon on Monday.

He said energy prices could remain elevated for months and noted that prices may fall once shipping traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz.

“When we start to get a free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices will come down,” Wright said.

Trump has previously said higher prices would be temporary, promising the economy would “snap back” once U.S. action in Iran is complete.

Some states have already suspended gas taxes to ease costs, including Indiana in April and Georgia in March.

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