Trump orders DOJ probe, DOJ urges states to examine gasoline prices
President Donald Trump said the Justice Department would investigate major energy firms for not lowering pump prices despite recent declines in crude oil costs, according to a BBC report. He reiterated the request in statements reported by NBC News and Fortune, describing the practice as a consumer gouge. In a later Fox Business interview, Trump urged gasoline retailers to cut prices to around $2.
50 per gallon and warned of consequences, while directing the Justice Department to examine possible price gouging. The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission, subsequently asked state attorneys general to look into potential antitrust and consumer-protection violations that could be inflating gasoline prices, as reported by Fox Business. According to the Fox Business report, the agencies cited the president’s comments as the impetus for the inquiry.
