On June 30, after failing to pressure the Federal Reserve, Trump shifted his focus in the inflation battle to gasoline retailers. He posted on Truth Social stating that crude oil prices have dropped to $68 per barrel and continue to decline, demanding that gas stations lower their prices immediately. He warned that if prices do not drop, 'big problems are waiting,' and even called for gas prices to be reduced to $2.5 per gallon. According to AAA data, the current average price of regular gasoline is $3.85 per gallon, down from $4.36 a month ago, but still higher than $3.19 at the same time last year. Data shows that as of May, the U.S. inflation rate was 4.2%, significantly above the Fed's 2% target, with gasoline prices increasing by 40.5% over the past 12 months and fuel prices rising by 58.9%, primarily due to disruptions in Middle Eastern oil supply routes caused by U.S. conflicts with Iran. Previously, Trump had continuously pressured former Fed Chairman Powell and Governor Lisa Cook in an attempt to push for interest rate cuts, but new Chairman Waller did not lower rates in his first meeting. Notably, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that Trump's previous attempt to remove Cook was unlawful due to a failure to follow due process, further reinforcing the independence of the Federal Reserve and seen as another setback to the White House's efforts to intervene in market prices.
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