President Donald Trump said Monday that the surge in U.S. gasoline prices is no longer tied to the Strait of Hormuz, pointing instead to refineries in Russia and in Democratic-led states. In a Truth Social post, he put part of the blame on Ukraine for striking Russian refining facilities, even as the U.S.-Iran war continues to shape global energy markets.
The Post
Trump published the statement on Truth Social at 11:32 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2026. It was a single paragraph, signed “President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
“What’s driving up Gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, ‘Refineries,’ where Russia’s are being blown up by Ukraine, and where ours are being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats,” Trump wrote.
A Shift in Explanation
In the post, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world’s oil supply passes, is no longer the main factor behind rising fuel costs. He said “Record Numbers of Barrels” are now moving out “on an almost daily basis.”
That framing departs from the link between the U.S.-Iran war and rising energy prices that has happened in the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz has been central to those concerns because of its importance to global oil shipments.
Ukraine and Russian Refineries
The post singles out Ukraine, saying Russia’s refineries are “being blown up by Ukraine.” The statement is the latest instance of Trump attributing high U.S. gasoline prices, at least in part, to Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.
Trump has previously urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt such strikes. Kyiv has continued them.
Zelenskyy’s Announcement
Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine will keep striking Russian refineries. The announcement followed reports that Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Kyiv has not indicated it will change course in response to Trump’s earlier requests. Trump’s Monday post suggests the disagreement over the strikes remains unresolved and that the president continues to link them to prices at the pump.
Blue States and California
Trump also directed criticism at Democrats at home. He said U.S. refineries are “being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats,” a term he used for Democratic officials.
The post did not specify which California facilities he meant, which policies he was criticizing, or how those closures compare in scale with the production effects of the war. California has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism on energy policy.
The Iran War Backdrop
The post arrives while the U.S.-Iran war is still being fought. The conflict has been a major driver of volatility in global energy markets, in large part because of its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz and the risks to shipping through it.
Trump’s post does not mention the war or its effect on fuel costs. It attributes the price increases to refinery capacity in Russia and the United States, though the war has been widely cited as a significant contributor to higher energy prices.
Politics of Prices
Gasoline prices are a closely watched measure of the economy and a frequent subject of political debate. Trump’s post assigns responsibility for rising prices to Ukraine and to Democratic officials in states such as California, rather than to the war or to the administration’s own handling of it.
The statement was the latest in a series of Truth Social posts in which the president has weighed in on the economy, foreign policy and domestic politics, often in the same message.
What Remains Unclear
The White House did not immediately provide further detail on the claims in the post. It was not clear what data Trump used to describe the flow of barrels through Hormuz as at “Record Numbers.” The post also did not say whether the administration plans any new action on Ukraine’s strikes or on refinery capacity in California.
For now, the president’s stated position is that refineries, not the Strait of Hormuz, are what is driving up gasoline prices. Ukraine has said it will keep striking Russian refineries.