Trump Says He Will Make Year-Round E-15 Gasoline Permanent If Kansas Republican Wins

President Donald Trump said on Monday he would make E-15 gasoline available year-round if Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) wins his upcoming reelection campaign.

E-15 gasoline is fuel blended with 10.5 to 15 percent ethanol, according to the Department of Energy, and it’s sometimes known as unleaded 88, or U88.

Federal law bars the sale of the fuel in most of the United States during the summer months under the Clean Air Act enacted in 1990.

At a Kansas rally on Monday, Trump said he would back a measure to “sell E-15 all year round,” citing a waiver he initiated for Kansas to sell the fuel.

He said he would make that measure permanent if Marshall wins his reelection bid in the November midterms, and he described it as “a big deal for Kansas.”

“But if Adam Hamilton is in, I’m not doing it. That’s it,” Trump said, referring to Marshall’s Democratic Senate opponent. “I’m only doing it” for Marshall, he said.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that fuel containing 15 percent ethanol is safe for most cars, trucks, and SUVs made in 2001 or later.

Critics say E15 is a dirtier fuel, and some states prohibit its use between June 1 and Sept. 15 because it can add to smog in higher temperatures.

E-15 isn’t recommended for use in motorcycles, according to the EPA. Gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol has become the standard for most of the nation’s gas stations.

Trump’s comment on Monday evening comes as oil and gasoline prices have remained elevated amid the U.S.–Iran conflict.

The price for regular gasoline has been trending down in recent weeks, dropping 2 cents to $4.27 from Monday to Tuesday after reaching $4.47 per gallon a month ago, according to AAA.

However, diesel in the United States remains above $6 per gallon, rising slightly to $6.31 on Tuesday, reported AAA.

The fuel reached its all-time high on Sept. 22 when it stood at $6.52 per gallon.

The price for both West Texas International and Brent crude oil both dropped more than 2 percentage points on Tuesday morning to $96 and $106 per barrel, respectively.

Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Trump has made pledges to carry out policy actions if Republicans retain their current hold over both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

They include promising to send $5,000 payments to all Americans if the GOP wins.

Currently, Republicans hold small majorities over Democrats in both chambers.

The president stopped in Kansas for the latest in a series of rallies to try to energize supporters during the final weeks of campaigning.

During his speech in Wichita, Trump sought to boost Republican Ty Masterson, who is running for governor, alongside Marshall.

In 2022, then-President Joe Biden’s administration issued an emergency waiver to sell E-15 fuel during gasoline and oil supply issues during the initial onset of the Ukraine–Russia war, which started in February of that year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.