President Donald Trump is once again talking about gas prices in Iowa.
During a news conference at the G7 Summit in France, Trump pointed to Iowa’s prices before the war in Iran as a sign of the strength of the pre-war economy.
He described seeing gas stations selling fuel for less than $2 a gallon during a trip he made to Iowa in January.
Here’s what Trump said about Iowa’s gas prices and what’s happened since.
What did Trump say about gas prices in Iowa during his G7 press conference?
Trump was responding to a question about how an agreement to end the war in Iran would affect oil prices and gas prices.
He described oil prices as “plummeting.” He said prices would come down “a lot lower” after the agreement.
“I was in Iowa just before this started, and I was saying to myself, ‘I can’t believe we’re doing so well, but I have to go and we have to put out this fire in Iran because I don’t want them using a nuclear weapon.'”
Trump said he passed two gas stations in Iowa during his visit to an events center in Clive. He said one was selling gas for $1.85 and another had gas for $1.91 per gallon.
Was gas $1.85 a gallon in Iowa?
The $1.85 price Trump was referring to was the price for E85 when he was in Iowa.
The higher blend of ethanol is often sold at a lower price, with crowd-sourced tracking website E85prices.com reporting an average 25% savings compared with standard E10. It can only be used in Flex-Fuel vehicles and is sold at about 400 gas stations in the state, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.
The January average price for E85 in Iowa was $1.88, according to E85prices.com.
The state’s lowest average price in 2026 was $2.31, recorded on Jan. 5, according to GasBuddy. But, gas prices at many stations were below $2 a gallon in Des Moines near the start of the year.
When Trump visited Clive in January, the average price was $2.65, according to AAA.
Donald Trump touted support for biofuels during Iowa visit
Trump spoke at length about E15 during his Iowa visit, insisting he is confident Congress can get a deal done on offering year-round E15.
While E10, with 10% ethanol, is sold year-round, the higher E15 blend is seasonally banned in some regions because of clean air regulations the ethanol industry contends are outdated.
How much is gas in Iowa today?
Gas prices in Iowa rose sharply at the start of the war in Iran, but have fallen in recent weeks.
The average price of gas in Iowa is $3.66 on June 17, according to AAA. That’s down from an average of $4.32 one month ago, but still up from a price of $3.00 in June 2025.
GasBuddy reports Iowa’s gas prices peaked in May at $4.33 per gallon.
Where are the lowest gas prices in Iowa?
Two gas stations off U.S. Highway 18 in Floyd, Iowa, have the lowest price on June 17, according to GasBuddy. Gas is $3.28 per gallon at a Love’s Travel Stop and BP gas station.
In Des Moines, gas is selling for $3.32 at several stations, GasBuddy reported.
Brian Smith is a senior editor and audience strategist for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at bsmith@registermedia.com.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Donald Trump touts gas prices in Iowa at G7 Summit. Were they $1.85?
Reporting by Brian Smith and Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Smith and Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
