A circulating video accurately captured a Fox News broadcast graphic that mistakenly portrayed national average gasoline prices as having dropped between August 2025 and August 2026.
The graphic incorrectly claimed the national average for gas was $4.13 in August 2025, contrasting it with the $4.06 average recorded on the day the segment aired in August 2026. A representative for Fox News verified that an on-air correction was broadcast on August 18 during both the “America Reports” program and the FOX Business Network.
In August 2026, social media users shared posts (archived) featuring a video clip of a Fox News graphic, which purportedly demonstrated that national fuel costs had decreased over a one-year period.
The broadcast in question, which went to air on August 17, 2026, compared fuel averages across three timeframes: “today,” “a week ago,” and “a year ago.” According to the visual data displayed, the national average sat at $4.06 on that day, whereas the figure for the same time the previous year was listed as $4.13—implying a downward trend between August 2025 and August 2026.
Independent journalist Aaron Rupar highlighted the broadcast on August 17 by posting, “Fox News graphic claims falsely that the average price of gas one year ago was $4.13, lower than it is right now. It was actually $3.14!” (It is worth noting that the graphic actually indicated higher prices in 2025 rather than lower ones, contradicting Rupar’s specific wording about the direction of the error relative to the present day.)
The clip also spread rapidly across Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), and Reddit (archived).
A spokesperson for Fox News confirmed via email on August 18, 2026, that the disputed graphic had indeed been used during the “America Reports” broadcast and on the FOX Business Network the day prior. The network provided footage demonstrating that a formal correction was subsequently aired on “America Reports” and the FOX Business Network on August 18.
Given the network’s confirmation, the video footage of the original broadcast was genuine, and the $4.13 figure attributed to August 2025 was indeed inaccurate. Data from the American Automobile Association and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics placed the actual national average for regular gasoline in August 2025 at $3.14 and $3.13, respectively. This indicated that prices had actually increased, rather than fallen, by August 2026.
Fox News representatives did not offer an explanation regarding how the erroneous statistic made it to air.
Details Surrounding the Broadcast Graphic
The graphic was displayed during a live segment on “America Reports” featuring Fox Business correspondent Edward Lawrence, which immediately preceded an interview between host John Roberts and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on August 17, 2026.
Official footage of the Wright interview begins with a brief visual of Lawrence alongside co-host Jacqui Heinrich. Similarly, Rupar’s clip ends with a fleeting frame of the same anchors, confirming the sequence of events.
The network cited “AAA” as the source for its numbers, pointing to the American Automobile Association’s fuel-tracking platform. On August 17, 2026, that site did indeed list the national regular gas average at roughly $4.06, matching the figure used by the network.
While the “week ago” average displayed by Fox News aligned with AAA’s data at approximately $4.00, the historical benchmark was severely mistaken. AAA’s records showed the actual national average from one year prior was $3.1376 (around $3.14), contrasting sharply with the $4.13 figure shown on screen.
Gas Prices Rise in the Wake of the Iran Conflict
Some social media commentators suggested the error was an intentional attempt by the network to spin economic news in favor of President Donald Trump’s administration. However, Fox News declined to comment on the root cause of the mistake.
Although the Trump administration campaigned on lowering energy expenses, the outbreak of war with Iran and the ensuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz pushed national averages past $4 per gallon in April 2026 for the first time in nearly four years.
By August 2026, rather than promising reduced fuel costs, Trump encouraged the public to accept higher prices at the pump as a necessary sacrifice to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities—a primary objective of the military campaign launched in February 2026.
As of this reporting, peace negotiations to resolve the conflict have shown little measurable headway.
During an August 14, 2026, address, Trump claimed that Iran was facing severe losses and stated his intention to designate the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory. In response, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi published a statement on social media asserting that the waterway would remain under Tehran’s control until opposing forces acknowledged their defeat.