Late last month, President Donald Trump prodded gas stations to lower their prices "IMMEDIATELY" as a fragile ceasefire with Iran was on the verge of collapse. The possibility of all-out war resuming had threatened to send oil prices upward again and cast a new spotlight on elevated gas prices during the summer travel season.
Within two days, Trump started promoting a "Freedom Fuel" network of 20 gas stations in Pennsylvania and five in New Jersey set to offer cheaper gas to bargain-hungry drivers. The sticker price for a gallon of gas? $3.479.
"This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow," Trump said in a Truth Social post. He added that gas prices were falling nationwide but "not as fast as they should be."
The White House social media account on X $TWTR also promoted the "Freedom Fuel" stations with a video heralding the launch of a new Freedom Fuel-branded gas station opening in Philadelphia.
The establishment of the Freedom Fuel network, though, is shrouded in mystery so far. It's unclear who is managing the company and how it receives fuel supplies. The Trump administration has pushed gas retailers to lower prices, much as its predecessor did in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers called Freedom Fuel "a patriotic company" that's responding to Trump's repeated calls for lower gas prices. "This retailer is taking the lead, and we hope to see others follow," she said in a statement provided to Quartz.
Another White House official maintained that the administration has no direct ties to Freedom Fuel nor has it provided the private company with any taxpayer funding.
"There is no other entity or person subsidizing the lower gasoline costs. They are simply reducing their margin to make prices at the pump more affordable for drivers in Philadelphia and New Jersey," the official said without elaborating further.
Indeed, drivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are able to trim their gas bill for now. The average price for a gallon of regular gas stands at $3.92 and $4.00, respectively, according to AAA. Both are slightly elevated from the national average of $3.88 as of Friday.
Freedom Fuel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An entry in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office only lists a Delaware address as its headquarters. The application to register Freedom Fuel was submitted on July 1.
It didn't take long for the mysterious gas stations to draw charges of hypocrisy from Democrats. One Democratic lawmaker alluded to a proposal to open a handful of city-run grocery stores touted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his primary campaign earlier this year.
"Government-subsidized grocery stores = Communism," Rep. Jim McGovern said in a Wednesday social media post. "Government-run gas stations = Freedom. Got it."
There are about 145,000 gas stations in the U.S., and most are mom-and-pop retailers that set their own prices. Some gas stations operate under larger brands like Costco $COST, which sells fuel for cheaper since it can rely on its massive size to procure large amounts of fuel for its members.
That's not the case for the vast majority of independent gas retailers. They usually don't generate the bulk of their profit selling gas. Instead, they make money from selling other items at convenience stores like coffee, sandwiches and other snacks.
Whether Freedom Fuel expands beyond competitive regions in the November midterms remains to be seen.