{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump considers banning diesel exports The Trump administration is considering a ban on exports of diesel as high prices of the fuel put a crunch on American agriculture and trucking. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson When asked Tuesday whether he was considering a ban on...
Page F2From§Eachthe milkman edition — 23 September 2026
Administration claims 65-billion-barrel Venezuelan oil windfall, now weighs banning diesel exports to end shortage.
As it ran on the front
Nine months ago the pitch was simple: the United States moved into Caracas, and Washington walked away with majority control of 65 billion barrels, 35 percent of it sitting with the Pentagon. Secretary Wright called it a windfall. I called it a position. Positions are what you want. Cilia Flores, the former first lady, has spent this month in a Brooklyn jail asking a judge to let her out over her heart — I mention it because it happened, not because it changes the balance sheet, which it doesn't, which — actually it might, but let's stay on the oil.
On August 30, the President said the Venezuelan crude would replenish American reserves. On September 4, the average price of a gallon of diesel hit $5.85, an all-time high, the same week the war on Iran was still working through the supply chain. On September 5, Axios reported that Republicans' own internal polling showed voters placing the blame for that price at the President's door — his own numbers, showing him what drivers were already paying at the pump.…
…(cont) That's the position. Sixty-five billion barrels, and diesel costs more than it has ever cost in the history of the country keeping records. I'd call that a contradiction, except contradiction implies somebody built it by accident, and I've read the memo, and nobody built this by accident. I mean — I haven't read the memo. There is no memo. I'm told there's no memo.
On September 20, Senator Grassley asked the President directly, on social media, to put an embargo on diesel exports the way presidents in the '70s embargoed ag products when food prices spiked. Two days later, on Tuesday, the President said he was considering exactly that: a ban on diesel exports, to fix a shortage of a fuel his own administration is, at the same time, still exporting.
Own the oil, sell the diesel, then stop selling the diesel because there isn't enough — three moves, and the policy insists all three are the same policy. It is the same policy. I've checked. It's the same policy, and it is not working, and I was told to tell you it is working, and I'm telling you.
“They said we own 65 billion barrels of somebody else's oil, and it took six months for the same government to start talking about banning diesel exports because there isn't enough to go around. You don't run out of a windfall — you run out of a story. My truck payment doesn't care which one they're telling this week.”
“Look, it's not a contradiction, it's a hedge — you take the position, you protect the position, that's just sound portfolio management, that's — okay, banning your own exports to fix a shortage the deal was supposed to prevent is not the flex I was told it was. I was told it was a flex.”
Earlier in this story
- Trump renames AI 'superintelligence,' still can't rename the 73 percent who don't trust it. By Chip · the matinee edition, 22 September 2026
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright says a 30-minute military operation unlocked 65 billion Venezuelan barrels for American buyers, who marked the windfall by paying a record $4.15 a gallon over Labor Day. By Chip · the breakfast edition, 20 September 2026
The receipts
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) on Saturday pressed President Trump for an embargo on diesel exports amid high prices for the fuel. “why doesn’t Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag[riculture] products bc [because] food prices were inflated,”
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· 'Can't Message That Away': GOP Frets as Trump Administration Desperately Spins Record-High Diesel Prices from the morgue, 5 Sep 2026
· Trump admin's list of US-designated 'foreign terrorist' groups in Latin America expands to 21 from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Top Trump official reveals how 30-minute military op unlocked Venezuela oil windfall for US buyers from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Ex-Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores seeks release from NYC jail, citing heart ailment from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· New York City protest once again demands release of Maduro and Flores from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Trump Official Denies Stealing Venezuela's Oil One Hour After Boasting Country is 'Forced to Work' With US from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· 'Mobster Language': Trump Says Venezuelan Oil Will Replenish US Reserves from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· 'Yet Another Trump Grift': Congress Called to Stop US Takeover of Venezuelan Oil Fields from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· The Biggest Oil Deal or Theft at Gunpoint? U.S. Claims Majority Control of Venezuela's Oil Reserves from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Tehran threatens attacks after U.S. strikes Iranian tankers from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· US forces take out 3 Iranian oil tankers in retaliation from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Oil prices up as Iran says it will expand control over Strait of Hormuz from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Iran live updates: Trump speaks to MBS, says everything will 'work out fine' from the morgue, 13 Sep 2026
· Iran threatens retaliation against U.S. tanker strikes from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· U.S. gas prices hit record high for Labor Day from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Ship tracking websites, including Kpler, MarineTraffic, and TankerTrackers, show that three Iranian oil tankers, including two from the National Iranian Tanker Company, have escaped the blockade that from the morgue, 17 Jun 2026
· Iranian state media reports that the United States Navy attempted to capture an Iranian oil tanker. The oil tanker was boarded, commandeered and then returned by Iranian NEDSA marines in a helicopter from the morgue, 3 Nov 2021
· US strikes Iranian rocket launchers in first attack since late July from the morgue, 30 Aug 2026
· An Iranian Navy commander claims on state television that the Iranian Navy forced a U.S. submarine to surface as it transited the Strait of Hormuz and that the submarine violated Iranian territorial w from the morgue, 20 Apr 2023
· Trump Threatens to Rename Strait of Hormuz for Himself as War Pushes Diesel Prices Toward Record High from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump floats renaming Strait of Hormuz after himself from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· U.S. strikes targets in Iran near Strait of Hormuz as Iran says it is retaliating from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Price of diesel in U.S. hits record as Vance downplays Iran war impact from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Diesel prices hit record high as wars disrupt supply from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump vows response to Iran's retaliatory strikes: 'We're going to hit them hard' from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Trump threatens Iran against retaliation for latest U.S. strikes from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Live updates: US, Iran ramp up strikes; incumbents hold on in Massachusetts from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump calls Iran conflict "small potatoes" from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Labor Day gas prices are highest ever for holiday from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· How ‘Hypermilers’ Are Trying to Beat High Gas Prices from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Fuel prices at record Labor Day high in US thanks to Iran War and refinery issues from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Oil Prices Rise Slightly After U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· USS Lincoln heads home as war with Iran escalates from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Lawler disagrees with Trump on Iran war: 'It is certainly not small potatoes' from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· OPEC Plus to Keep Oil Production Steady from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Iran War Has Cost the Average American More Than $1,200 Over Six Months, Economist Estimates from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Trump says military conflict in Iran is 'small potatoes for us' from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Wright: US has 'a lot of leverage' in Venezuela after oil deal reached from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· White House unveils new details of Venezuela agreement from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Chris Wright explains how Venezuelan crude will ‘fill’ the Strategic Petroleum Reserve from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Energy Secretary Wright says Venezuela oil deal will bring down gas prices in a year or two from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Chevron to expand in Venezuela, days after the U.S. and Venezuela strike oil deal from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Venezuelan oil flows will lower gas prices in 12-24 months, Wright says in Caracas from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Trump says Venezuelan oil will replenish Strategic Petroleum Reserves from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.