In recent days, as diesel and gas pump prices hit record highs, President Trump and his team have scrambled to appear to be doing something about it, under pressure of the election countdown. But reality will out, and the crisis worsens. In the last five days, Trump issued an executive order on diesel (Oct. 5), ordered the EU nations to release diesel, oil and fuel from their already low-reserves (Oct. 2, which the EU agreed to Oct. 3), and he visited Nebraska (Oct. 6), for a farm state rally asking farmers to love and trust him.
Tonight Trump speaks at a rally in Texas—the energy state, where the diesel issue is red hot. On Sept. 28 Texas Gov. Greg Abbot declared an emergency over diesel prices. His text: “A proclamation certifying that the shortage of diesel fuel poses an imminent threat or occurrence of harm to the public health and safety in the States of Texas and, pursuant to….the Texas government Code, do hereby declare a state of disaster for all Texas counties.”
Diesel prices—now double what they were this time last year, have hit harvest time in the Farmbelt, and now threaten to radically reduce Fall planting of wheat. Trucking is slammed, with a jump in bankruptcy filings by smaller companies. The average U.S. diesel price this week is $6.30 a gallon, compared with $3.68 a year ago.
On Oct. 1, the American Farm Bureau Federation, a very Republican Party group, sent an open letter to President Trump, calling for him to act. As of that date 10 farm state governors—from North Dakota to Texas—had issued various special orders to cut the impact of the soaring diesel prices, including setting aside state fuel taxes, suspending regulations on how heavy trucks can be, and lifting restrictions on where on-farm-only diesel (somewhat cheaper, and dyed red, for enforcement) can be used, to haul other freight.
The White House on Oct. 6 issued its ["Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Promotes Diesel Affordability”]( https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/10/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-promotes-diesel-affordability/) extolling his “Executive Order to temporarily allow off-road ‘dyed’ diesel for highway use and defer the applicable Federal excise tax, lowering costs for Americans.” Otherwise, Trump asks states and his Secretary of Agriculture to “encourage corresponding actions” with what he has done, which is next to nothing.
The Farm Bureau has dutifully thanked Trump. But no one is fooled that these actions address more than pennies, and the Federal tax is only deferred.
