The assessment is based on a convergence of high-authority primary data and consistent secondary reporting. The most credible evidence comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the official government source for this data. The provided links point directly to the historical weekly price tables needed to verify the claim's two parts: that the price fell below $3.00, and that this was the first time since 2021. This primary evidence is strongly supported by a chorus of secondary sources. Multiple independent news affiliates (ABC, CBS) and national outlets (Newsmax) explicitly and consistently report the event as described in the statement. These reports, while secondary, cite industry sources like GasBuddy, further corroborating the trend. The evidence is widespread and lacks significant contradiction. The lower-authority sources are either consistent with the claim or their focus is too regional (e.g., the Vermont article) to effectively challenge data on the national average. The combination of verifiable, high-authority government data and unanimous reporting from multiple news sources makes the statement highly credible.