Trump faces uphill climb on suspending gas tax
Source: Axios · Bias: Center Left
Summary
President Trump's endorsement of suspending federal gas taxes pushes the idea higher on the political radar, but it still faces long odds.Why it matters: Some Republicans rushed to introduce bills, and a few Democrats have already endorsed the idea — but there are still serious obstacles that could keep Trump's comments from becoming reality.The federal tax is 18.3 cents for gasoline and 24.3 cents for diesel (with another .1 cent fee for addressing leaking underground tanks).A few dynamics to watch following Trump's comments to CBS News...📜 Capitol Hill. Trump needs Congress to act, and the immediate signs are mixed. GOP lawmakers including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) quickly promised legislation, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune was noncommittal."I've not in the past obviously been a fan of that idea. But you know I've got some colleagues out there who think it's a good idea and so we'll hear them out," he told reporters.Thune noted the revenue loss could hurt the Highway Trust Fund, and said "the best thing [that] can happen for gas prices is for the [Strait of Hormuz] to get opened up again."💪 The White House political operation. It's hard to know whether it's something Trump's team will truly push, or instead one of his frequent musings, or something in between.🗳️ It's a 2028 thing. Several potential White House hopefuls have now pushed to temporarily nix the tax.They would be Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Hawley, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.🤷 The politics and plans remain in flux. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) isn't exactly shooting down the idea, but in a floor speech Monday, he took the position that it's not enough."[L]et's not pretend 18-cents of gas tax relief per gallon makes up for the damage Trump created with this war," Schumer said. "Eighteen cents isn't a dollar-fifty — which is how much the price of gas has gone up since the war started.""The best way to lower costs is to end this illegal war."Aides to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) didn't respond to requests for comment.💵 The numbers are daunting. One reason a waiver has never happened — despite surfacing often when prices spike — is the budget impact is big even while consumer relief is modest.The revenue effect and loss to the Highway Trust Fund — which supports roads, bridges and transit — depends on the duration and how it's structured.For instance, Kelly's plan would divert other monies to the fund. But a holiday of any length is expensive for Uncle Sam.The research firm ClearView Energy Partners said a hypothetical gas tax waiver from May 15 to Nov. 30 would cost nearly $14 billion. Add in other fuels, and the price climbs a lot more.The bottom line: The high costs and revenue loss for highways "might ordinarily produce lethal sticker shock on Capitol Hill," ClearView said in a client note."But in a mid-term election year where both parties are in no-holds barred pursuit of Congressional control, we cannot wholly rule it out."Sign up here for Axios' Future of Energy newsletter.
Related Coverage
- Trump announces new pardons after privately weighing "Diddy" clemency, sources said (Center — Politics - CBSNews.com)
- Trump Heads to Mount Rushmore, Where He Wants to See His Face (Center — WSJ.com : U.S. News)
- 'Total disaster' at Trump's fair as scorching heat leaves 7 on 'advanced life support' (Far Left — Raw Story)
- Trump, ballot seizures and a ‘declaration’: Gavin Newsom teases tiresome July 4 address to the state (Right — New York Post)
- 'Not mentally well': MAGA suspects Trump sabotaged by liberals armed with weather machines (Far Left — Raw Story)
- 'God is angry': Internet bemused as Mother Nature comes for Trump's Mount Rushmore speech (Far Left — Raw Story)
- ‘The second-most good-looking president’: Trump entertains on Usha Vance’s program (Far Right — WorldNetDaily)
- President Trump Reads “Presidents Play” (Far Right — The Last Refuge)
Daily Analysis
Read the full Parallax Pulse for May 11, 2026 — an AI-powered analysis of how Left and Right media covered the biggest stories this day.
More Headlines From May 11, 2026
- Trump Proposes Suspending Federal Gas Tax Until Prices Fall (Center Left)
- Elon Musk and other CEOs invited to be in Trump's delegation to China (Center)
- How much would a federal gas tax holiday save you at the pump? (Center)
- DNI Tulsi Gabbard Investigating 120 Foreign Biolabs Funding by U.S. Government – More than 40 are Located in Ukraine (Far Right)
- President Trump looks to suspend the federal gas tax (Center Left)






