Florida drivers are feeling the pinch at the pump as gas prices climb past $4 a gallon across much of the state, and some residents are directing their frustration at President Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters.
The complaints surfaced on the r/Florida subreddit after a WINK News article reported that drivers were paying an average of roughly $4.14 per gallon statewide, with prices even higher in some areas.
And the numbers have continued moving. As of September 16, AAA puts Florida’s average for regular gasoline at about $4.20 per gallon, up from $4.08 a week ago and $3.87 a month ago. This time last year, drivers in the state were paying an average of roughly $3.13.
Those statewide numbers also line up with what residents on the subreddit said they were encountering locally. One Central Florida commenter reported paying around $4.17 for nearly a week, while another said prices in Broward County had reached $4.19 over the weekend before dipping to $4.09.
Others reported similar numbers around the state. A resident said they had seen prices jump from $4.03 to $4.13 in San Antonio before encountering $4.30 gas in Brandon. Another reported seeing $4.39 at a local 7-Eleven.
Tampa, Oviedo, and Fort Myers residents also reported prices ranging from roughly $4.19 to $4.39, with one commenter claiming a station in Fort Myers had already pushed its price to $5 per gallon.
Florida Residents Point Fingers at MAGA
The rising prices quickly became political in the comments, with several Redditors blaming Trump and people who voted for him. “Fun times in MAGA high,” one person remarked. Another mocked, “Make sure you thank your MAGAt friends. They voted for this.” A third said, “This is what MAGA voted for. They won. The rest of us just get dragged along.”
A fourth said, “Lots of poor Trump supporters think they will be rich one day. Not joking. So they vote against their best interests.” Another claimed, “MAGA guys are not in it for making their lives better. They’re in it for the culture war.”
Someone else added, “Everyone at my job who is a Trump voter doesnt believe this is his fault its [sic] solely Iran and Biden and Democrats fault.”
The causes behind the higher prices, however, stretch well beyond partisan arguments playing out online. AAA reported last week that the national average for regular gasoline had risen 13 cents in one week as crude oil climbed back into the $100-per-barrel range amid continued volatility around the Strait of Hormuz. Gasoline prices would normally be falling around this point in the year as demand eases, making this year’s increase unusual.
Trump himself has acknowledged the effect the conflict with Iran has had on oil prices. Speaking to reporters last week, the president said he did not expect oil prices, which have surged amid the conflict, to come down until after the November midterm elections.
