President Trump says he has been pushing his own advisers to shut down U.S. diesel exports, calling it a potential lifeline for farmers and truckers buckling under record fuel prices. I've said let's not send out the diesel, Trump told reporters Tuesday, adding that he has personally called for the move within his administration. The push comes as diesel prices have climbed sharply this year, a spike largely tied to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and broader turmoil from the Russia-Ukraine war rattling global fuel supplies. Sitting beside Trump at UN meetings in New York, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the administration is actively weighing the move, saying officials are deciding between a full export ban and a partial one, with a decision expected soon.

The idea has picked up real momentum on Capitol Hill, with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley leading a chorus of Republicans demanding an embargo, warning that sky-high diesel prices are killing farmers' income and comparing it to past export controls on chips and agricultural goods. But the plan is far from a done deal, oil-state Republicans and industry groups like the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers are pushing back hard, arguing an export ban could actually backfire by forcing refiners to cut production and drive prices even higher. Even members of Trump's own administration have voiced doubts, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cautioning that the move might not lower prices at all and could hurt Americans if trading partners retaliate. For now, the fate of the ban rests with Bessent's ongoing review, leaving farmers, truckers, and refiners alike waiting to see which way Washington ultimately leans.