Donald Trump Meets Oil Executives to Lower Gasoline Prices

Donald Trump is hosting a meeting with oil executives at the White House on Tuesday to address gasoline prices, which currently average over $4 a gallon. The president has accused U.S. oil refiners of gouging consumers and has called for a Justice Department investigation into the industry.

The administration intends to discuss expanding U.S. refining capacity, addressing refinery closures, and increasing the flow of crude from Venezuela. Invited companies include Chevron, Valero Energy, Marathon Petroleum, PBF Energy, and Delek US Holdings. These firms have expressed concern over the optics of the meeting, which follows reports of record second-quarter profits for refiners amid supply disruptions caused by a conflict with Iran.

Exxon, the third-largest refiner in the United States, was excluded from the meeting. This omission follows a previous disagreement between the company and the president regarding investments in Venezuela.