US Gas Prices Hit Highest-Ever Mid-August Level as Trump Says He'll 'Never Apologize' for the Cost of War

AAA's national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.06/gallon, the highest ever recorded for mid-August according to GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan — up 92 cents from a year earlier, with diesel hitting a record $5.46-5.47/gallon for the month. California and Hawaii averages neared or topped $5.40/gallon. President Trump defended the cost, telling reporters 'I'll never apologize, I did the right thing' and that Americans paying 'a tiny little bit more for your gasoline' was the price of preventing 'a very evil country' from obtaining a nuclear weapon — a contrast with his campaign pledge of $1.85/gallon gas. CNN's live coverage on Aug 21 noted prices remained elevated as Strait of Hormuz traffic stayed near a trickle, around 20% of the pre-war seven-day average per UKMTO.