Trump praises new Freedom Fuel gas stations amid questions over ownership

President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on July 1 that a retailer in the Northeast was "stepping up" with a new Freedom Fuel Network offering gasoline at $3.47 per gallon, a price he said would soon return to record lows. The White House later shared a video of customers at the first station in Dresher, Pennsylvania, thanking Trump for the lower prices.

Freedom Fuel, launched in June, operates a chain of 25 locations in the Philadelphia region. Records show the Dresher station is owned by a subsidiary of Blue Owl Capital, an investment firm in which Trump previously held up to $25 million of stock before selling most of it. The White House said the administration has no financial involvement or subsidies for the network.

The network’s ownership includes a mix of individuals: a former NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser, and New Jersey entrepreneurs Shamikh and Syed Kazmi. The Kazmi brothers have faced multiple civil judgments, including a $600,000 award to a fuel supplier after a court found they unlawfully took more than 200,000 gallons of gasoline in 2021, and a $380,000 judgment from 7-Eleven over alleged misconduct at a franchise.

Blue Owl Capital owns roughly one-third of the Freedom Fuel properties and leases the stations to independent operators, stating it does not manage day-to-day operations. Fourteen of the locations are linked to companies controlled by the Kazmis, who lease several sites from Blue Owl.

The company was incorporated in Delaware on June 23 by Randy Brown, a Baltimore Ravens special-teams coach and former mayor of Evesham Township, New Jersey, and Yoni Gontownik, a former investment director at Mercuria. Both declined comment.

Industry experts said the promotional price is likely below cost, a tactic used to attract attention that typically lasts only a short period. Subsequent price checks show the advertised rate has risen, with a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, station selling regular gasoline for $3.82 per gallon, still below nearby competitors.

Freedom Fuel’s website posted a statement crediting Trump’s endorsement for the network’s growth and denying “misinformation” about its pricing strategy.