As diesel hit an all-time high and gas prices set a Labor Day record, Fox Business contributor Phil Flynn argued on Fox & Friends, “People don't give [Trump] enough credit for how he's kept gasoline prices under control.” He continued: “Yes, I know they are high. I know they are at the highest level they've been at Labor Day, but you know people were saying we should have been at $10 a gallon, you know, or $15 a gallon, none of that's happened.” 

Fox figures and guests have repeated the argument for months across Fox News and Fox Business programs, and Trump administration officials have touted the line as well — most recently Vice President JD Vance, who during a September 3 press briefing claimed, “Gas, frankly, could’ve been much, much higher were it not for our efforts.” 

But not everyone on Fox thinks this is a winning message. Fox’s Gillian Turner said of Vance’s comments on Special Report with Bret Baier:

“Well, it was notable that he told reporters in that briefing that he doesn't know when gas prices are going to come back down to $3 a gallon. He then went on to say that prices could actually be a lot higher than they are right now if the Trump administration weren’t handling things in the Middle East so well at this moment. So essentially sending this message that Americans should be thankful gas prices aren't higher.” 

Anchor Bret Baier replied, “That's a tough sell on a bumper sticker ahead of the midterms,” and Turner agreed, concluding that it’s “not winning strategy. It’s probably going to backfire.”

Nevertheless, some on Fox have praised the administration for keeping gas prices from climbing “a lot higher” or downplayed oil shocks by arguing that they are not as “crazy” as they could have been.

• On Fox & Friends, host Rachel Campos-Duffy said: “Despite the war, a lot of people expected these prices to be a lot higher, and he [Trump] has been focused on energy, energy, energy, which means as soon as this war is over, we're going to see probably record-low gas prices like we’ve never seen before.”  [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 9/10/26] 

• In August, Campos-Duffy seemingly praised Trump for “keeping” gas prices at $4. She said, “I have to admit that even though the prices are higher, it's not as high as one would expect given the Straits of Hormuz and this war and the situation there. So how is the president keeping the price at $4?” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Weekend, 8/16/26] 

• On the August 29 edition of Fox & Friends Weekend, host Charlie Hurt said, “We're all complaining because we're paying $4 a gallon for gasoline. It's not nearly what it could be.” Hurt made the argument again the following day, saying: “And when you wrap this up into all of the problems that we have seen across the Middle East — in particular in the last six or eight months — it is kind of remarkable that gas prices are at $4 and are not a whole lot higher than that.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Weekend, 8/29/26, 8/30/26]

• On Fox Business’ Kudlow, Phil Flynn told guest host David Asman: “You know, we talk about $80 a barrel. Think of what people were saying when this started. They said if it went through the Fourth of July, oil would be at $100 a barrel or $200 a barrel.” On September 10, the price of a barrel of oil again surged past $100.  [Fox Business, Kudlow, 8/21/26; NBC, 9/10/26]

• As prices hit $4 per gallon again in late July, Fox Business correspondent Edward Lawrence claimed on The Faulkner Focus: “This is not a huge spike in oil prices.” Rather than a “spike,” he argued, “It’s a move up because of the moves that this administration has made to increase global supply.” [Media Matters, 7/22/26; Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 7/20/26]

• Flynn told Fox host Harris Faulkner: “We got back above $4 a gallon, and of course that's a psychological number for a lot of people at home. But I really think this time Americans are looking at the bigger picture here.” “We are looking at a structural change in the global energy markets — it’s one we're going to win,” he continued. “And even as prices are spiking today on threats of the two major oil choke points in the world, we are not up as much as people would have feared.” [Media Matters, 7/24/26]

• On America Reports, anchor Sandra Smith downplayed rising gas prices, saying, “We should note that many of you, as analysts have pointed out, that historically speaking, if we had seen a situation like we are right now, there would be a much bigger shock in the markets. Still, with the escalating tensions in this moment, we’re just back to $4 and just above $80 a barrel.” Smith made the argument again four days later: “Now gas has gone back above $4. We know that that is a critical level for so many Americans, and psychologically they see that mark and it can have an impact on the elections. … Oil prices back below $90 a barrel. So still not seeing this crazy price shock that many would have believed we would see considering the uncertainty of this conflict.” [Fox News, America Reports, 7/20/26, 7/24/26]

• Frequent Fox guest and Power the Future founder Daniel Turner: “Kudos to American drill, baby, drill because we never had a supply problem, and that's due to American energy dominance.” Turner argued: “There is an amazing resiliency in our own economy, right? As bad as things got here — and no one liked paying $4 a gallon gas, right? Everyone wanted to see prices come down. But there are other countries who are really in a pickle. If you're most of the European Union, if you’re South Korea, if you’re Japan, you were running out of supply. And so, you know, kudos to American drill, baby, drill because we never had a supply problem, and that's due to American energy dominance.” [Fox Business, The Bottom Line, 6/19/26]

• Guest and GOP strategist Chris Johnson, after the U.S. and Iran signed a “memorandum of understanding” in June, said on Mornings with Maria Bartiromo: “We know that if we need to go back at it again, our economy can handle it. We’re seeing oil prices lower. They did not go near as high as the naysayers and doomsayers thought it would, and that's because of the president’s energy dominance agenda.” [Axios, 6/17/26; Fox Business, Mornings with Maria Bartiromo, 6/18/26]

• Asman on Fox & Friends: “I know it’s been tough for everybody, but it could have been a lot worse had we not begun drill, baby, drill when the president became president the second time.” Asman argued, “Because of drill, baby, drill, we have been isolated in a way that's never happened with any other oil spike crisis that we have had in my lifetime — and that goes back a few decades. … I'm old enough to remember the gas lines in the ’70s, and it was pretty bad. We had nothing near that. I know it's been a strain. I know it’s been tough for everybody, but it could have been a lot worse had we not begun drill, baby, drill when the president became president the second time.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/15/26]

• Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt: “The impact on the oil market has not been the great oil shock … that was predicted. It's been rather modest.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/10/26]

At the same time, Fox figures have likewise tried to downplay gas price increases by arguing that the situation was worse under Biden and has taken a greater toll on other countries.