Trump Meets Oil Refiners at White House to Push Down $4-a-Gallon Gas Prices

President Trump met Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with executives from small, medium, and large oil refiners and distributors at the White House — alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and National Energy Dominance Council Executive Director Jarrod Agen — to discuss expanding US refining capacity and lowering pump prices, which have held near $4.10/gallon nationally amid the renewed Iran war. Discussion touched on regulatory rollbacks, faster permitting, and additional refinery investment; Exxon was reportedly not among the invited companies. The meeting followed the administration's Venezuela oil deal, under which the US secured majority control of 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.