American drivers pay 45 percent more to fuel their daily commutes since President Joe Biden ascended to the White House, AAA data shows.
The national average gas price on Monday was $3.46 per gallon, according to AAA, up about 20 cents from last month.
When Biden assumed office, the national average was $2.38 per gallon, more than a dollar less than the current price. That is about a 45 percent increase since former President Donald Trump left office.
Gas prices are high by historical standards — and not just compared with the very low gas prices seen during the pandemic lockdowns, when the weekly national average gas price fell below $1.80. In 2018, gasoline averaged around $2.72 per gallon. The following year, the average was $2.60.
Gas prices remain high and could go higher due to industry and political factors. Biden’s economic war on American energy independence during instability in the Middle East and in Ukraine are significant factors.
According to AAA, the top ten states with the largest increased gas prices are:
- Texas (+10 cents), Alaska (+10 cents), Oregon (+9 cents), Washington, D.C. (+9 cents), Utah (+8 cents), New Mexico (+8 cents), Washington (+8 cents), Montana (+7 cents), Arizona (+6 cents) and Idaho (+5 cents).
The nation’s most expensive markets to fill a tank of gas are:
- California ($4.87), Hawaii ($4.71), Washington ($4.24), Nevada ($4.14), Oregon ($3.98), Alaska ($3.76), Illinois ($3.70), Arizona ($3.64), Washington, D.C. ($3.57) and Pennsylvania ($3.50).