The Free Press · October 13, 2026 · By Aaron MacLean
Diesel Prices Up Roughly 50 Percent Since Iran War Began
- Toward the end of his 2024 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump pledged to “cut your energy costs in half within 12 months after taking office,” according to the article.
- In his first 12 months in office, the price of gas came down modestly, as did the price of heating oil; electricity and natural gas got somewhat more expensive, and diesel held steady, according to the article.
- The price of diesel has risen by roughly 50 percent since the start of the Iran war, prior to which it had been steady for several years, according to the article.
- The article states that refining capacity throughout the Gulf has been extensively damaged, and that Ukraine has carried out a long-range strike campaign targeting Russia’s refineries.
- The article notes that the midterm elections are three weeks away.
Campaign pledge via NBC News, linked in the original article; price statements as reported in the original article. The piece is paywalled; facts are from its accessible portion. Original headline: "Trump’s Disastrous Diesel Deal".
Removed: the headline’s characterization of the deal, the author’s characterization of the campaign pledge and of the president’s recent week, his assessments of presidential leadership and political resolve, and the subscription pitch.