Trump Administration Conceals Funding for Below-Wholesale Gas at Freedom Fuel Stations
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 10
Trump Administration Conceals Funding for Below-Wholesale Gas at Freedom Fuel Stations
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 10
Summary
Freedom Fuel Network stations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are selling gasoline at or below local wholesale costs, while the Trump administration has not disclosed who is subsidizing the discounts.
Analysts said the pricing appears unsustainable because wholesale costs alone exclude labor and credit-card fees, making sharp price increases or station closures likely if outside funding stops.
Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy said coordinated overnight rebranding and price cuts across this many stations are highly unusual, far beyond the short-term promotions sometimes used for openings or ownership changes.
Shell and T-Mobile both said they were not involved, even as one former Shell-branded Brookhaven station remained listed on Shell's website and the network's rollout drew comparisons to T-Mobile's $1.99-a-gallon June promotion.
The mystery subsidies come as retailers say the Iran war has kept wholesale gasoline about 80 cents a gallon above prewar levels, limiting how far most stations can cut prices.