The claim: Joe Biden is to blame for higher gas prices
The rising cost of gasoline is being felt across the U.S., as the national average price has gone up from $2 per gallon last year to $3 per gallon as of June 9, according to data from the American Automobile Association.
Many on social media claim President Joe Biden is to blame for this change.
A June 1 Instagram post put the title “Joe Biden’s America” atop a graphic showing the price jump from January to May 2021.
“Man I haven’t seen gas prices this high since the last time (a) Democrat was in office!” claims one meme shared to Facebook on May 22.
“It’s called the Biden effect,” commented one Facebook user under a similar May 18 Facebook post.
Blaming Biden for this uptick isn’t a new phenomenon. These claims have been in circulation since January and particularly allege Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline significantly impacted gasoline, “ensur(ing) a huge increase in gas prices for millions of us.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the posters for comment.
Fact check:False claim says Biden’s American Families Plan would extend high school by 4 years
While it’s true gasoline prices have risen significantly since Biden took office on Jan. 20 the upward trend predates Biden’s time in office and is related to COVID-19 and market factors, not who occupies the White House.
Pandemic’s effect on supply and demand
As with any commodity, the price of gasoline is determined by the simple balance of supply…
