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FACT BRIEF

Is gasoline 'over $7 now' in California?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in California was $5.36 on May 1, 2024, the highest nationally, according to GasBuddy.com.

That contradicts a May 1 claim by former President Donald Trump. Asked about inflation under President Joe Biden, he told a Milwaukee talk radio show, “gas is over $7 now in California.”

News reports on April 23 said gas cost $7.29 per gallon at one station in Menlo Park, California.

When Biden took office in January 2021, gas cost $3.26 in California; it peaked at $6.29 in June 2022. The California peak under Trump was $4.16.

Fact-checkers have reported that presidents have little influence over gas prices. The prices mostly depend on the price of crude oil, which is set on the global market, as well as worldwide supply and demand.

As of May 1, the average price of gas was $3.65 in the U.S. and $3.35 in Wisconsin.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
GasBuddy Average Regular Gas Price Comparison by State
IHeart Donald Trump on the Jay Weber Show 5/1/24 - The Jay Weber Show
KTVU-TV Gas hits above $7 mark at one Bay Area station, among the highest in California
Newsweek California Gas Hits $7
U.S. Energy Information Administration California All Grades All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices
FactCheck.org Gasoline Prices Up Due to Global Supply-Demand Issues, Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Washington Post Fact Checker The bogus GOP claim that Biden is responsible for higher gasoline prices
PolitiFact Fact-checking Rep. Carol Miller on gasoline prices under Joe Biden
U.S. Energy Information Administration Weekly U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.