Here is what Eakinomics knows. On July 7, the White House posted on X:

The FIRST Freedom Fuel Network gas station has LANDED in Philadelphia, lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th President.

President Trump is leading the charge to lower gas prices this summer – putting more money in your pocket. 🔥

Meanwhile, USA Today reported:

Politics aside, $3.47 is a good deal on gas.

That was the message from customer after customer at the President Donald Trump-backed Freedom Fuel locations in the Philadelphia region.

Few knew their bargain tank of gas was at the center of a somewhat mysterious project touted by the Trump administration.

Finally, Forbes fleshed out the story:

• The White House has told multiple outlets the company operating the stations is not affiliated with the Trump administration and privately owns 25 gas stations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, attributing the stations’ lower prices to a reduction in profit margins.
• A White House spokesperson did not identify the company behind Freedom Fuel Network to CBS News.
• The location revealed Tuesday was not built from scratch and instead converted from a Sunoco station in Dresher, Pennsylvania, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, noting the average cost for a gallon of gas in Philadelphia on Tuesday was $3.95.
• A spokesperson confirmed a listing of 25 locations across Philadelphia and South Jersey on the Freedom Fuel Network website was accurate, but did not confirm to the Inquirer that all locations were open.

That’s it. That’s what Eakinomics knows. What does Eakinomics think of Freedom Fuel?

1. It is classic Trump Administration policy; simultaneously shocking, but not the least bit surprising.
2. If New York Mayor Mamdani is going to have a grocery store, President Trump will top that with a gas station and mini-mart.
3. Of course the gas is $3.47. USA Todayreported that two stations in the Philadelphia area had a lower price, but there is no way the White House would give up the branding.
4. Experts note that the $3.47 pricing can’t cover costs. So, one possibility is that the White House is subsidizing the network, but it denies this. And there is no means for such a direct cash infusion from the government. Alternatively, there is a company willing to lose money to help drivers and/or aid the president. But it could have done that at any point. Why now?
5. There is an open question as to whether Operation Enduring Kinetic Ceasefire will undo the political benefits of Freedom Fuel – and exacerbate the issues in 4.
6. Gasoline prices do have a special place in the American psyche. But there is more to life than driving and $3.47 – especially in a narrow strip of geography – will not solve the “affordability” issue. The reality is that the most recent Consumer Price Index data show inflation over the past year at 4.2 percent, while the growth in average hourly earnings clocked in at 3.5 percent. Until wages grow faster than prices, freedom’s just another word that politicians use (with apologies to Kris Kristofferson).

Freedom Fuel does not seem to be a magic solution to potential electoral woes in November. Maybe if the president pumped the gas himself?