Gas prices are up 52% since the war with Iran started.

Posted by The MeidasTouch Podcast, Sep 15, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictMixed

Sources: 4 contradict3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

The MeidasTouch PodcastSep 15, 2026

The rise in gas prices is well supported, but the 52% figure matches only the May 2026 peak (CBS: $4.54, up 52% from $2.98). As of mid-September, AAA-based reporting put the increase at roughly 44-45% ($4.29 vs. about $2.98 pre-war), so the 52% magnitude does not hold on the claim's 2026-09-15 date.

A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.

A played clip makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… I don't recall. I'll jog your memory: four to five weeks. It's been six months, so he lied, and we're all paying the cost. Since the war started, gas prices are up 52%. Yes or no, are you aware of that? Gas prices are up 52% since the war started. Are you aware of this issue? Yes or no? I think that's not a good idea. Okay, I'm gonna take that as a yes. You're playing like you don't know, but you know. Okay, Secretary Bessen. Claiming my time. …

The MeidasTouch Podcast · Sep 15, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. The 52% increase is documented only at the May 6, 2026 peak ($4.54, up $1.56 or 52% since the war began). It is not the figure for mid-September.[2]

Contradicts. Around the claim's date, reporting put the increase at about 44-45% (e.g., $4.29 in September, and 45% above pre-war levels in an October AAA update), which is below the 52% stated.[1][3][4]

Supports. Multiple sources confirm gas prices rose sharply after the Iran war began in late February 2026, with the national average reaching $4.29 in September against a pre-war level near $2.98.[1][4]

Context. Different baselines and dates produce different percentages (e.g., 40% in WSAW's October report, 43% in WMUR's October report, 50% in NBC's June analysis), so the figure depends on the measure and date used.[5][6][7]

Context. The claim's own post asserts this as a present-tense figure on 2026-09-15; the extraction matches the post's wording and no referent was added.