The White House flipped the switch on 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations across the greater Philadelphia area, all offering gasoline at $3.47 a gallon. The initiative, announced on July 7 via a post on X, featured a video of customers thanking President Donald Trump for slashing fuel costs. One unidentified customer in the clip said the station was a lifesaver, claiming, “I thought gas was more expensive, but it’s not. Thanks, Trump, for saving me some money.”
The rollout lands as Americans keep a nervous eye on pump prices ahead of the November midterm elections. Yet the Freedom Fuel price tag only edges below the national average. AAA data from July 7 pegged the average gallon at $3.79 across the country. The White House confirmed the locations in an email to USA TODAY.
This push comes after a brutal stretch for drivers. Gas prices climbed in all 50 states earlier this year, with the national average soaring to nearly $5 in May. GasBuddy, a fuel industry tracker, noted sharp spikes in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. The culprit? Crude oil costs, which shot up amid the U.S.-Iran war. Brent crude surged over 55%, flirting with $120 a barrel, driven by shipping snarls in the Strait of Hormuz.
In 2025, nearly 34% of global crude oil flowed through that narrow chokepoint, per the International Energy Agency. But after the U.S. and Iran inked a tentative truce in June to end the war and reopen the strait, gasoline prices started to ease. The U.S. Energy Information Administration breaks down pump costs into four key pieces: crude oil, refining, distribution and marketing, and federal and state taxes.
On July 7, Hawaii, California, and Washington still saw average prices above $5 a gallon, while Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas boasted some of the lowest rates, according to AAA. The full list of Freedom Fuel stations is up on the company’s website. USA TODAY reached out to the White House for more details.
