STORY: :: Washington, D.C. / May 11, 2026

:: As fuel prices jump, Trump says he will reduce federal tax on gas 'till it's appropriate'

:: Some lawmakers have already proposed passing the legislation needed to make the cuts 

REPORTER: ''Mr. President are you going to suspend the federal gas tax?'' 

TRUMP: ''Yeah, I'm going to reduce until the... Let me tell you. As soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it's over, you're going to see gasoline and oil drop like a rock, going to be dropping down like a rock. I mean, already look. Just on the basis of, you know, things have happened. When it first came about, 20% of the oil came out of Hormuz. That's a lot. But, you know, with time, it's like they're going to Texas, they're going to Louisiana, they're going to Alaska, a lot of Alaska. // And it's sort of amazing, you know, it found its way. So a lot of people thought oil would go to $250, $300. It's not I mean, today it's at less than 100. Think of that. Now, when this ends, you're going to see it drop like a rock.''

REPORTER: ''How long are you going to suspend that tax for that?''

TRUMP: ''Till it's appropriate, yeah. It's a, it's a, you know, it's a small percentage, but it's you know, it's still money.''

Waiving the tax requires Congress, currently controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, to pass legislation.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, said on X that he is introducing legislation on Monday to suspend the gas tax.

In March, some Democrats including Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona first proposed suspending the tax, which generates about $2.5 billion per month in road funding, until October. Since 2008, more than $275 billion - including $118 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law - has been shifted from the general fund to pay for road repairs.

U.S. states also tax gasoline, with Indiana, Kentucky and Georgia moving to make cuts to give consumers some relief at the pump.

Gas prices have risen since the war in Iran began on February 28, with one gallon in the U.S. averaging $4.52 as of Monday, the highest since 2022, when the average peaked at $5.01 a gallon, according to AAA motor club.