Trump Claims Zero Days of $100 Oil During His First Term, Calls Democrats “Scammers”
Trump posts infographic comparing crude oil prices across four presidential terms, asserting his administrations kept oil below the $100 threshold.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump posted an infographic comparing the number of days crude oil traded above $100 per barrel across four presidential terms, calling Democrats “Scammers” and claiming credit for keeping energy costs low.
The graphic asserts that during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017, crude oil exceeded $100 per barrel on 308 days. Trump claimed his first term from 2017 to 2021 saw zero days above that threshold, while the Biden administration from 2021 to 2025 recorded 83 such days. The current Trump term beginning in 2025 shows 24 days above $100, according to the infographic.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “The Dumocrats are Scammers. These are the real FACTS!!! President DJT” on October 8, 2026 at 9:09 PM ET.
This is Trump’s 11th message released today, and the last post was 13 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 31 of his 531 posts over the last 30 days classified as Economy posts.
The infographic uses color coding to distinguish between administrations. Red numbers mark the Obama and Biden columns, while green numbers highlight both Trump terms. The Biden column notably replaces an official portrait with an image of a document bearing a signature, an editorial choice that reinforces the partisan framing of the graphic.
Global crude oil prices reflect a complex web of factors largely outside any single president’s control. OPEC production decisions, geopolitical conflicts, worldwide demand shifts, and currency fluctuations all drive the price of a barrel of oil. Trump’s first term coincided with a period of surging U.S. shale production that flooded global markets with supply, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 cratered demand so severely that futures prices briefly turned negative.
Oil prices spiked above $100 per barrel during the Obama years partly because of the global financial recovery following the 2008 recession and supply disruptions tied to unrest across the Middle East and North Africa. Prices during the Biden administration crossed that mark after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, disrupting energy markets worldwide. Trump’s post does not address these underlying drivers, presenting the day counts as a direct measure of presidential performance.
Consumers feel crude oil prices most directly at the gas pump. Sustained periods of oil above $100 per barrel typically translate into gasoline prices above $4 per gallon nationally, squeezing household budgets for commuters, trucking companies, and airlines. Lower oil prices generally ease those costs, though retail gasoline prices also depend on refining capacity, state taxes, and seasonal demand patterns.
The post attributes the data to no specific source. Independent tracking of daily crude oil settlement prices through the U.S. Energy Information Administration could verify or challenge the specific day counts Trump presented, but the post offers no citation. Without a named data source, the figures remain Trump’s claims rather than independently confirmed statistics.
A decision on whether crude oil prices will remain below $100 during the remainder of Trump’s current term depends on OPEC+ production targets, global economic growth, and geopolitical stability. No single policy announcement or scheduled regulatory action controls the outcome, and no specific date for a price-determining decision has been announced.
Zenger analysis
Photo by Zenger analysis
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Russia
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Russia
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Ukraine
Photo by Protomaps / Natural Earth – Ukraine
President Trump is the author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life, and Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."