President Trump said he wants to see the federal gasoline tax suspended temporarily as prices at the pump soar during the war in Iran. 

"I think it's a great idea. Yup, we're going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we'll let it phase back in," Trump told CBS News. 

The federal government's excise tax is about 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel, which generates approximately $500 million per week for construction and repair of roadways, as well as other transit projects. 

Suspending the tax would require an act of Congress. 

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. on Monday was $4.52 per gallon, which was up from $4.14 a month ago, according to AAA.