Trump to meet with U.S. refiners as White House pushes to lower gas prices

President Donald Trump will meet Tuesday with U.S. refiners and fuel distributors as his administration looks for ways to expand domestic refining capacity and bring down gasoline prices, according to a White House official.

The meeting will include Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, National Energy Dominance Council Executive Director Jarrod Agen and representatives from small, medium and large refiners and distributors, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting hasn't been announced.

"President Trump is laser-focused on ensuring his successful energy dominance agenda translates into the most cost savings possible at the pump for consumers," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

Rogers said Trump will discuss ways to increase refining capacity, expand energy production across the supply chain and lower prices for consumers.

The push comes as affordability, particularly gas prices, looms large over the midterms. Nearly half of Americans say the cost of living is their top voting issue, while 70% disapprove of Trump's handling of it, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from early August.

The White House official said the administration is focused on "concrete, near-term steps" to add refining capacity, including as more Venezuelan crude flows to U.S. refineries.

Trump on Friday announced a deal with Venezuela giving the U.S. majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves, part of a broader push to boost supply and lower gas prices as the Iran war disrupts global crude flows.

Tuesday's meeting will also focus on whether lower costs are being passed through to consumers and on additional actions the administration could take to reduce prices at the pump, the official said.

— Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.