WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Monday he supports suspending the federal gasoline tax as U.S. fuel prices have climbed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, White House officials and news reports confirmed.
Trump told CBS News in an interview that he backs a temporary pause on the tax. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said, adding that the suspension would last “for a period of time” and phase back in when prices fall. “We’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in,” Trump stated.
The federal excise tax stands at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. Any suspension would require congressional approval. Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, have indicated they plan to introduce legislation to implement the pause.
The move comes as gasoline prices have risen sharply in recent weeks due to disruptions in global oil supplies linked to the conflict. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the administration was open to the step as one of several measures to provide relief at the pump.
Trump’s comments mark a shift from earlier White House statements that a suspension was not under active consideration. Administration officials have also taken other steps, including releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to address supply concerns.
Critics have noted that the federal tax represents only a portion of the total price at the pump, with state taxes and other costs forming the larger share. Experts have said the relief to consumers could be modest and temporary, and that the suspension would reduce revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, which supports road and bridge repairs. Details on the exact duration or legislative path remained unclear on Monday.
Some states have considered or enacted their own fuel tax suspensions in past periods of high prices, but a federal pause would be rare. Congress has never approved a nationwide federal gas tax holiday.
As of Tuesday, no legislation had been formally introduced in response to Trump’s comments, though Republican leaders in both chambers signaled support for advancing the idea. The president cannot suspend the tax unilaterally.
Oil prices remained elevated in global markets following Trump’s remarks, with traders monitoring developments in the Middle East and potential U.S. policy responses.
