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.

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.