Trump Energy Secretary Warns Gas Prices May Not Fall Below $3 Until 2027
Chris Wright, the US Secretary of Energy in the Trump administration, acknowledged during a congressional hearing in Washington DC on April 16, 2026, that it might be 2027 before gasoline prices in the United States drop back under $3 per gallon. This statement came as the national average price soared to $4 per gallon, driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Uncertain Timeline for Price Relief
In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, host Jake Tapper pressed Wright on when Americans could realistically expect gas to cost less than $3 per gallon again. Wright responded, "I don't know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year." He added that prices had likely peaked and would start declining, particularly if the war in Iran, which the US initiated with Israel in late February, concludes, leading to lower energy costs.
When Tapper specifically asked if it might be 2027 before prices fall below $3, Wright deflected, noting that "Under $3 a gallon is pretty tremendous in inflation-adjusted terms." He highlighted that such levels were achieved during the Trump administration but had not been seen in real terms for a long time, assuring that "We will get back there, for sure."
Background on Campaign Promises and Current Crisis
Donald Trump campaigned aggressively in the 2024 election, promising to lower gasoline prices, even vowing to bring them below $2 per gallon. In a September 2024 speech, he declared, "Energy is going to bring us back. That means we're going down and getting gasoline below $2 a gallon, bring down the price of everything from electricity rates to groceries, air fares, and housing costs."
However, prices have surged due to the Iran conflict. After Iran responded to US and Israeli attacks by twice closing the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passage for global oil supplies—Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iranian ships. On Sunday, US forces fired on and seized an Iran-flagged container ship attempting to breach this blockade. Gasoline prices, which averaged $2.98 per gallon before the war, climbed to $3.98 in late March and stabilized above $4 in April, with expectations of broader inflationary impacts on goods and services.
Public Disapproval and Shifting Statements
An NBC poll released on Sunday, surveying over 32,000 adults, found that 67% to 68% of the public somewhat or strongly disapproved of Trump's handling of the Iran war and domestic inflation issues. Wright's recent comments mark a shift from his earlier optimism. On March 15, during an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, he expressed confidence that gas prices would drop under $3 by summer, saying there was "a very good chance that'll be true." Similarly, on March 8, he told Tapper that surging prices were a matter of weeks, not months.
This evolving stance underscores the challenges in predicting energy market trends amid geopolitical instability, leaving consumers uncertain about future relief at the pump.
