Gas prices stay near $4.29 a gallon as midterms approach

Created: 2026-10-27T07:00:00-04:00 (America/New_York)
Last updated: 2026-10-27T06:36:31-04:00 (America/New_York)

AAA’s national average for regular gasoline was $4.2858 on Oct. 26, about $1.23 above a year earlier, as several outlets compared prices under President Trump with the Biden-era average ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

What we can say from primary-oriented reading

• AAA national average, regular, as of 10/26/26: $4.2858; yesterday $4.2892; week ago $4.2953; month ago $4.4874; year ago $3.0532.
• AAA (Oct. 22 release): national average fell 6 cents in a week to $4.27, attributed to the winter-blend transition; crude near $100/barrel amid Strait of Hormuz instability; October on pace to be the most expensive October on record.
• Not yet verified against a primary source (TBD): The Trump-term vs. Biden-term average comparison cited by Reuters/Bloomberg (underlying EIA data series and method) not yet independently recomputed.

Primary sources

• AAA Gas Prices — national average (as of 10/26/26)
• AAA release, Oct. 22, 2026: National Average Falls 6 Cents, But Crude Oil Nears $100/Barrel

How outlets framed it

Visually separated appendix — outlet angles from headlines in today’s scout. Not our voice.

• Reuters: Headline frames the story as: “Average price of gasoline during Trump’s term now exceeds Biden’s, as midterms loom”
• Bloomberg: Headline frames the story as: “Gasoline Prices Under Trump Surpass Biden-Era Average”
• CNN: Headline frames the story as: “Fact check: Breaking down Trump’s rosy comparison to gas prices under Biden”
• Newsweek: Headline frames the story as: “Trump Says Gas Prices Were Higher Under Biden. Here’s What the Data Shows”
• NPR: Headline frames the story as: “Trump attempts to combat high gas prices as affordability crisis looms over midterms”
• NYT: Headline frames the story as: “They Voted for Trump. Here’s How They Feel About High Gas Prices.”