President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter on Friday when asked about rising prices, calling it “fake news.” But the numbers he gave in response weren’t just wrong—they were made up.
Trump told reporters that gas is “down to $1.98” in a “couple of states.” That’s false.
“No state had an average gas price even close to $1.98 per gallon,” CNN’s Kaitlan Collins posted on X after fact-checking the claim. According to AAA, the lowest state averages on Wednesday were $2.70 in Mississippi and Tennessee—nearly a full dollar more than Trump claimed.
Even individual gas stations charging $1.98? None. GasBuddy, which tracks prices across the U.S., reported zero stations selling gas that cheap.
Still, Trump’s spokesperson Harrison Fields brushed off the facts, telling reporters to get out of their “big city bubble” and check prices in “Middle America.” But the numbers don’t back him up.
“Gas prices aren’t near record lows in a single state. Current prices are far above record lows,” said Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy in an email to CNN.
Trump didn’t stop there. He also claimed that egg prices had dropped 92 percent. That’s also false.
When Trump took office, a dozen Grade A eggs cost $5.81. Last month? They were even higher—$6.23, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from April 10.
Trump went on to boast that his tariffs are bringing in “$2 billion a day.” But that doesn’t hold up either.
The federal agency responsible for collecting tariffs says the total collected since April 5 is just $500 million—not $2 billion per day, not even close.
Trump calls a reporter fake and says prices haven’t gone up, citing gas at $1.98 a gallon and claiming that the price of eggs has gone down 92%.pic.twitter.com/en9mOPf6SY
— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) April 18, 2025
No state had an average gas price even close to $1.98 per gallon on Wednesday. The two states that were tied with the lowest average gas price on Wednesday, Mississippi and Tennessee, were both at $2.70 per gallon, according to data provided by AAA.https://t.co/FdblqPCE8A
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 17, 2025
