President Trump boosted a Philadelphia-area gas chain selling fuel at $3.47 a gallon, and the establishment press immediately began digging into the station owners — rather than the policy failures that made that price worth celebrating.
Here's what matters for working Americans: gas is expensive, and the people who helped make it that way want you to look anywhere but at them. The war with Iran drove oil prices up heading into July 4th, and consumers are feeling it at the pump. When a retailer steps up with lower prices, the story shouldn't require a forensic accountant.
But Europe Says went deep on the ownership of the Freedom Fuel Network, the 25-location chain Trump praised on Truth Social July 1. The outlet framed the venture as murky, noting it's backed by "a disparate collection of businessmen" including an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser, and a New Jersey entrepreneur who was ordered to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking more than 200,000 gallons of fuel. Fourteen of the 25 stations are controlled by companies linked to Shamikh and Syed Kazmi, two brothers with a string of civil misconduct accusations including fraud, according to records cited by Europe Says.
There's also a Blue Owl Capital connection. The investment firm owns about a third of the Freedom Fuel properties through a subsidiary. Trump has owned up to $25 million in Blue Owl stock, though his most recent disclosure says he sold nearly all of it. Blue Owl says it leases to independent contractors and isn't involved in operations.
The White House denied any personal connection between Trump and the venture but acknowledged having discussions with individuals who set up the network. A White House official said no one in conversations with Freedom Fuel had specifically spoken or worked with Syed Kazmi — indicating discussions occurred with the other brother, Shamikh. The administration stated it is not involved in the company and has not given it funding, and that no entity is subsidizing the lower costs.
Trump, for his part, framed it as a win: "America has never been stronger than it is now, and Gas Prices will soon be back to the Record Low Prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful 'excursion' in Iran," he wrote on Truth Social.
Variety, meanwhile, spent its ink on whether the Knicks will visit the Trump White House — Knicks star Jalen Brunson said the team hasn't discussed it yet — and Taylor Swift's wedding venue. Typical distraction fare.
The real question isn't who owns the stations selling cheaper gas. It's why $3.47 counts as a deal, who drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, who declared war on domestic production, and why Americans should trust the same people who broke the energy market to now investigate anyone trying to fix it.
