President Trump’s push on gas prices just got a lot bigger, and a lot of new enforcers now have a job to do.
On July 3, 2026, the Justice Department announced a call to action aimed directly at state attorneys general across the country.
The message is direct. Federal enforcers are pulling more state power into the fight.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission said they are closely monitoring petroleum markets and gas prices.
They also said they will take appropriate measures to stop illegal conduct that contributes to high prices at the pump.
Then they went a step further and pulled the states in.
The two agencies sent a letter to state attorneys general encouraging them to open their own investigations and bring enforcement actions under state antitrust and consumer-protection laws.
According to the Justice Department, DOJ Antitrust and the FTC are monitoring petroleum markets and gas prices and warned that they will use appropriate tools if illegal conduct is contributing to high prices. It turns the gas-price fight into an antitrust and consumer-protection push with state prosecutors invited in.
The July 3 release says the agencies sent a letter to state attorneys general encouraging investigations and enforcement actions under state antitrust and consumer-protection laws.
It specifically calls out retail-price manipulation, collusion among competitors in petroleum markets, and potential price-gouging enforcement where state law supports it.
The release also points consumers to DOJ’s Citizen Complaint Center, notes possible financial rewards for antitrust crime tips, and directs FTC complaints to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
No company has been declared guilty here. The agencies are monitoring, investigating, and urging enforcement against illegal conduct if it exists.
The reach is real. Federal and state enforcers working the same beat at the same time is a lot of pressure on any company thinking about gaming the market.
The Justice Department and the @FTC warn lawbreaking companies that they are closely monitoring petroleum markets and gas prices and will take all appropriate measures to stop illegal conduct contributing to high gas prices.
“Affordable energy is essential to a thriving American… pic.twitter.com/JweTeAvxkW
— Antitrust Division (@JusticeATR) July 3, 2026
Woodward framed the effort around accountability.
He said affordable energy is essential to a thriving American economy, and that the Antitrust Division will use the tools available to hold companies accountable for unlawfully manipulating the market.
The DOJ also gave the public a way to get involved.
People who suspect antitrust violations can call the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or file a report at justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The department also noted that individuals who report antitrust crimes may be eligible for financial rewards.
On the FTC side, suspected antitrust violations and unfair or deceptive practices can be reported at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
That is a wide net, and it invites ordinary consumers to feed the effort with what they see.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are urging states to join a sweeping probe into major oil companies.
Watch OAN on Spectrum and YouTube TV for updates. https://t.co/TLiUApMF9d pic.twitter.com/2NJa7lLALx
— One America News (@OANN) July 4, 2026
This moves the pressure beyond the earlier federal warnings to the industry.
Instead of one federal demand, it is now DOJ, the FTC, and potentially fifty state attorneys general looking at the same markets under the same suspicion of illegal conduct.
Cheaper energy has been a core promise of this administration, and this move puts enforcement muscle behind it.
Companies playing straight have nothing to worry about. Companies gaming the market now have a lot more people watching.
