Vice President JD Vance rolled into Tyler, Texas, on Tuesday with a message that fits neatly on a bumper sticker: the Trump administration is using wartime authority to make more gasoline. Specifically, it's tapping the Defense Production Act to expand fuel production at a Delek US Holdings Inc. (NYSE: DK) refinery in Tyler, with gas prices straining household budgets just weeks before the midterms.

Defense Production Act Will Expand Tyler Refinery

Speaking at a rally in Tyler, Vance said the administration, working with the Delek refinery, "has used the Defense Production Act" to expand the plant.

"We want millions of gallons of commercial-grade and military-spec fuel to come out of this refinery in addition to what it's already producing," he said.

The expansion would bring lower costs, a more reliable energy supply, a stronger national defense, and hundreds of new jobs in Smith County, according to the vice president.

He added that Trump has called on refineries across the country to boost production and bring energy prices down.

It is unclear whether the administration will use the act beyond this one refinery.

The White House did not immediately respond to MarketDash's request for comment.

Trump Turned to Wartime Powers for Energy

The Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law, lets the president direct and fund increased production of goods deemed critical to national security.

In April, Trump signed five Defense Production Act determinations covering coal power, liquefied natural gas, domestic petroleum, and power-grid infrastructure, which allow the Energy Department to put federal funds behind such projects.

Pump Prices Remain a Political Test

The announcement comes as the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine keep oil prices elevated.

AAA puts the national average for regular at $4.33 a gallon, up about 41% from $3.08 a year ago, and diesel at $6.30, up about 72% from $3.66.

Gasoline jumped 9.1% in September and is up 34.2% from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday, pushing consumer prices up 3.7% year over year.

Last week, Russia agreed to send millions of tons of diesel to world markets.

Price Action: Shares of Delek US Holdings fell 2.20% on Wednesday at $78.97 and climbed 0.16% to $79.10 in extended trading.

Market data rankings indicate Delek's stock has a Momentum score in the 98th percentile and a Growth score in the 25th percentile.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.