Last week, in one of the most shameless displays of tone-deaf hypocrisy from a politician in recent memory, California Governor Gavin Newsom blamed “Trump’s war with Iran” for high gas prices. While gas prices have indeed climbed since the start of U.S. strikes at the beginning of the month, Newsom is apparently ignoring how his own policies have driven gas prices into the stratosphere in his home state.
As Democrat politicians have been eager to highlight, gas prices have climbed to about $3.70 per gallon nationally, up from around $3.00 per gallon a month ago. The White House, however, remains optimistic that prices could come down quickly in the weeks ahead. (It’s also worth noting that gas prices peaked at over $5.00 per gallon during the Biden administration – something Newsom and other Democrats remained curiously silent on.)
But prices won’t be coming down much in California, where drivers are being slammed at the pump not because of military strikes overseas, but because of Democrats’ climate agenda. The average price for a gallon of gas in California is now an astonishing $5.52 per gallon – higher even than Hawaii, which has to import all of its oil.
Under Newsom’s aggressive anti-oil policies, Californians pay $1.67 more per gallon at the pump than the national average, according to the Wall Street Journal. As the New York Post has reported, drivers in the state currently pay “roughly $0.28 in higher state excise tax costs, $0.13 in higher sales tax and local fees, and $0.75 for climate programs that are unique to the Golden State.”
“California also requires a special and more costly fuel blend – designed to prevent smog – that only the state’s refineries and specific Asian countries can produce,” the Post added.
But the most disastrous policy of all is the state’s aggressive “cap and trade” restrictions. Under this scheme, oil refineries have a set amount of carbon emissions that they are allowed to release – well below the emissions required to produce enough fuel for the state. If they exceed that allotment, they must purchase additional allowances. The system imposes de facto fines on refineries that then get passed on to consumers in the form of higher costs.
Yet shockingly, Newsom is not taking any action to loosen the vise – in fact, his administration is looking to squeeze companies even harder.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering jacking up the cost of so-called “allowances” that oil companies can buy. The goal, as is becoming increasingly clear, is not actually to offset carbon emissions, but to make it prohibitively expensive for oil refineries to operate so they will shut down or leave the state, as many have so far. Democrats want to make driving gasoline cars so expensive that people will have to switch to electric vehicles – which are also expensive, and which experts say the power grid cannot support.
Industry and Republican leaders are warning about the severe consequences of the proposed CARB changes.
Raising the cost “will cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries,” Chevron President Andy Walz wrote in a recent letter. Under Newsom’s disastrous climate leadership, refining capacity has already dropped 18 percent, Walz said. The capacity is set to drop further, as oil companies Phillips 66 and Valero are laying off workers and shutting down refineries.
Harmful climate policies would not just raise prices at the pump, but could also harm national security and have a dangerous ripple effect across the state’s economy, Chevron argued.
“California refineries supply a broad range of transportation fuels, including aviation fuels that are critical to commercial and military operations,” Chevron’s president wrote. He highlighted the 30 military bases in the state which need reliable fuel supplies – all of which could be at risk if California doesn’t reverse course soon.
Republican state Senator Suzette Valladares echoed these concerns, saying Newsom’s schemes could lead to a repeat of the 1970s energy crisis.
“Because of cap and invest, we’re looking at $1 more a gallon for gas,” Valladares told the California Post. “We are one refinery away from losing another 10 percent of California’s supply.”
Moreover, the anti-oil policies that Newsom and California Democrats have championed are actually resulting in more carbon emissions. Because of refinery closures and capacity drawdowns in California, the state now must import gasoline.
Due to the unintended consequences of a 1920s shipping law known as the Jones Act, it is easier to import oil from foreign countries than from Gulf Coast states. In California’s case, that gas is coming from the Bahamas – some 5,000 to 6,000 nautical miles away.
“The ironic upshot of the state’s anti-fossil fuel regulations is higher CO2 emissions from all that transport to get the oil to California,” the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board opined. “In case Mr. Newsom doesn’t know, most oil tankers run on petroleum-based fuels.” California is also importing fuel from South Korea, which is even further away. And while American companies suffer under California Democrats’ policies, foreign companies are benefitting.
All of this may prove politically consequential for Newsom beyond California’s borders. The governor is widely expected to harbor presidential ambitions in 2028, but the Golden State’s sky-high gas prices could become a major electoral anchor around his neck – even in a Democrat primary.
Any opponent will have an easy line of attack in pointing out how Newsom’s own policies made driving to work, school, or anywhere else exorbitantly expensive. If he wants to take those same policies nationwide, voters will inevitably be asked a simple question: do they really want to pay California prices at the pump?
For millions of Americans already struggling to make ends meet, the answer to that question will be an emphatic no.
AMAC Newsline contributor Matt Lamb is an associate editor for The College Fix. He previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and Turning Point USA. He previously interned for Open the Books. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Examiner, The Federalist, LifeSiteNews, Human Life Review, Headline USA, and other outlets. The opinions expressed are his own. Follow him @mattlamb22 on X.
This idiot Newsom wants to be president and bring this disaster to the rest of the nation. He’s corrupt, he’s a hypocrite and can lie without flinching. Eliminating democrats in this state is a tall order but until this happens, bureaucrats running CARB will destroy what’s left of California. Bottom line, Newsom and his minions must be eradicated.
Same old rhetoric, blame all troubles upon President Trump and the Republicans. This article states the obvious about past Democrat situations of stupidity are ignored or blamed on someone else. Funny that Newsom continues to be ignorant of his own failed policies while businesses continue to relocate out of his state. Of course, there is a great probability that the Democrats know exactly what they are doing leading this nation towards its future demise.
Why is anybody surprised? He’s a Democrat. Nothing the Democrats do makes any sense every decision they make is a bad one they are the epitome of a hot mess. They are the party of the devil they are incapable of making a good decision or doing anything correctly. Ignore him. Don’t let him occupy any space in your brain
That sob actually thinks he could get elected president?
Another validation that Newsom is a certified IDIOT! He cares so little about his state that the little guy is being squeezed out and the middle and high income citizens are leaving in droves. What a fool. Just because he is considered good looking (by some) and has a toothy smile, he is clueless as to how to govern. Yet he considers himself to be White House worthy. What a joke!
Newsom lies with such brazenness that it is almost admirable. This is an adaptation of Charles Krauthammer’s quote,”He makes this stuff up with such brazenness that it is almost admirable.”
Newsome is a person who worships himself and his “pretty-boy image,” which clogs common sense, enhances selfishness, and gives him the fuel of ego to think he is right. HE IS NOT, rather a phony, who sucks off others isery and believes he is great. Nope, like many of the PHONY, AND NEED TO FADE FROM SIGHT DEMOCRATS! If you believe them, GET HELP. YOU TOO ARE FADING!
Keep husseling Newsome, you will soon be a lonely guy (hopefully) as many use your ego to bolster their agenda.
I don’t understand how a man with great hair, but no brain underneath gets so much attention.My Dad was bald and so am I. He used to joke that”hair don’t grow on brains” and that he was “ all beach and no waves” so there must be a lot of fertilizer in there but no gray matter!I also have a two fold solution to the government shutdown. We just need to have huge numbers of participants to get it done! Two 2 year terms in Congress! Both houses! And Congress must not be paid salaries,expenses of any kind and no reimbursements when they decide to re-open.And no government security provided while closed down.Their most important job is to keep Americans safe!There is no safety for working Americans if they don’t have the homeland security funded and be able to put food on the table or buy needed medications, but we continue to provide these people with inflated salaries and expenses. Are we nuts?
Gas prices under Newsome Have neverr dropped since state taxes clog system
Gavin Newsom is an awful waste of skin & a dirge on the state of California. He needs to just go away!
Gavin Newscum is a member in good standing with the American Communist Party .
WHO ELECTED NEWSOME? NEWSOME IS A PIECE OF GENUINE SHIT. HE SHOULD BE IN JAIL!
This sounds like his hair mousse has really gone to his thick skulled head. You guys need to get this clown out of there while there is a California left. What a total moron.
My question, are elections rigged in this governor’s favor? He was actually re-elected. I cannot believe the Ca. voters, maybe they all like this governing. It’s all that makes sense,as some of this price on gas, is their state tax.
FLIPPIN MORON
The only solution to Newsome and Democrat insanity is to fix the voting. The majority of people would not vote for Democrat stupidity so we need voter ID to stop it.
Newsom is a dangerous dunce! How he ever got to be Governor of California is a mystery to me! The more he talks and the less he does, why oh why, has he not been inpeached?
This article exposed one of the worst examples of what the America-LAST Illegals-FIRST DamnoRATS have to offer.
There is one correction needed in this article. That being in some places in Commifornia gas prices have surpassed $7.00/gal. And diesel is right up there with it.
Newscum, seriously doesn’t have the mental capacity to successfully run a child’s sidewalk Kool Aid stand, order in the correct supplies, make payroll for the child, and make a profit without raising neighborhood taxes.
Further more, the regulations he’d impose on the Kool stand prior to allowing her to open it would be a 5-year EPA impact study, a 3-year carbon footprint study, and a 10-year study on it’s effects on Climate Change.
Once all those regulations were successfully met, the multiple permitting process would start. These, IF after the 15-25+-year backlog were met, the permits to GET the permits process would begin.
And following that, the little girl would filing for bankruptcy, on the government dole, and applying for Social Security.
Newscum is just one of the nightmare atrocities that the DamnoCRAPS have to offer.
NewSCUM and his ilk are running a big money-laundering scam. They get money from taxpayers and then dole it out to DIMM-owned “green” companies who may or may not actually do something good with it! Then the DIMM owners then turn around and contribute to the DIMMs’ campaigns! Look at how many BILLIONS were wasted on the high-speed train where NO miles have track have been laid. Remember Solyndra which got about $500 million some years back? Just a spit in the bucket of DIMM waste and graft!
Governor Pretty Boy Hair-Gel Newsom true to form is trying to blame Our California Gas Prices on President Trump. He thinks were stupid! We have been paying the highest gas prices in the nation long before the nations war with IRAN. Newsomis a lying POS!
I would not hire Gavin Newsom for a local dog catcher job. All he does is lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time. He loves to run to other countries and bad mouth President Trump. His father worked for J. Paul Getty who was at one time the richest man in the world. He’s never had a real job. After watching this greasy headed man on TV, he’s a BORN loser.
Washington state is a close second. Due to the dums carbon scam, I’m paying $4.69. At the end of last year it was $3.67. I know some of this is due to the Iran conflict, but that should reverse soon. However, we’ll always be higher than the red states for gas.
We all know the democrats mess things up and then blame President Trump for it. They blame everything on Trump. They are not leaders for America they are leaders against America. The WEF has decreed that we will become a global society the billionaires supporting the democrats and the communists in the party are using their money to buy leadership for their policies. They want to change the power in the World to China. The European Union has forgotten how America saved them in World War I and II. How many Americans gave their lives so that today their children and grandchildren are living in prosperity. Let America rot and keep peace in the World we are not participating. Gratefulness has left these countries and replaced with hatred and disdain for America. Obama was the president the WEF got elected to destroy this country. And the rest of the democrat party leadership followed. And here we are. A governor in CA that has bled the people dry with his taxes to destroy the state. And now he wants to be president to continue what he did in CA to the rest of the country. Will he ever change? Never. He has been trained and polished by the billionaires in Davos. And he and his cronies are still working 24/7 to destroy this country. Tony Blair was appointed by the WEF to destroy England and we know how well he has succeeded. It’s a Muslim country now. Run by the puppets the WEF has pushed forth. May God help the British people and the American people to survive this disaster that is about to descend on this country.
Gavin Newsom and all Democratic Governors are enemies to America and the American people and are all murders, thieves and piece of trash!
It’s the old “justify yourself and lay blame” that is so common among political thieves.
Ya gotta love that K Y jelly hair. Grab some screw some — gonna give ya head up ya butt
This comes from”A HORSES BEHIND”who has chased businesses out of his state,yes,his state,it’s not the peoples state anymore.This bottom feeding slug chased refineries out,screwed up on fire prevention,created more homeless,created a state that the normal person can’t afford and many more disasters,and has the gall to blame President Trump,yes sir NEWSCUM,you are a horses ass.
If I EVER have to enter California again, I’m going to take enough fuel in the bed of my truck to drive home from wherever I have to go. No way am I going to pay California prices for my fuel. It’s bad enough that their prices affect our prices here in AZ. California Voters have no one to blame but themselves for electing such idiotic people to government posts.
Where is our military in California getting its aviation fuel from? Does it have to pay California prices or can it it it cheaper?
Gavin Newsom is a sick joke. So are the people that support him. I would imagine that he is in direct contact with the other sick joke, Mandani. Together they will destroy two once beautiful states.
Look in the dictionary next to the word ‘hypocrisy’ and you will see his picture. Or should see it…..
Isn’t Newsome gone yet?!* He is a brainwashed whack subscribing to all things Leftist. I don’t think I have disliked any governor as much as him. He taxes double and triple amounts on gas… a sham redrawing of voting districts that the taxpayer had to pay for and he destroyed San Francisco financially. He is now telling the CA residents to “bend over” to pay more taxes statewide. What is really disconcerting is that he has always taxed gasoline to the hilt… it goes up every year. Yet he has TDS to the nth degree so he is happy to blame Trump for the oil going up. His mind is looping on Trump being the culprit while we in Orange County have been paying $4-5 per gallon since last year before the Iran war. It is a comedy of errors in CA, and listening to his rhetoric reminds me of little kids who look for someone else to blame… I’m not buying it anymore. Newsome needs to take responsibility for the financial straits that CA is in… like a big boy!
A dear friend of mine who lives in northern CA just sent me prices she has to pay! If it wasn’t for her close family living there, I bet she would move back to TX!!!!
If Newsome runs for President and fails to even win his own State he better not ask why! The answer will be a Gasser!
the voters , like sheep go along with newsome and their legislators!
Why does newsom have so much power!? I
Who would be the scape goat for the disasters left creates had they not have President, what tactic would they use to turn a snafu into a glorious success.
Washington state and California are neck and neck in their own ‘war’ on gasoline and oil costs. West coast states have simply became unaffordable areas to survive in!
I would love to see him thrown out of his mansion and living on the streets with HIS HOMELESS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CA lawmakers have also just approved a per mile tax for all vehicles, gas and electric, which I have calculated will cost me with my roughly 20,000 mi/year driving level @$1,200 on top of the $400 registration every year.
A lifelong resident of the once-Golden State, my family and I left five years ago and, unlike Lot’s wife, I have never looked back.
Don’t Californians realize that they are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for their own problems? They will continue to elect the communists to run their state. The communists in turn will bankrupt them individually and collectively (ironic word). But, eventually, Newsom and his co-conspirators will spend everyone’s money and there will be no California left.
Newsom can get away in CA with blaming the gas hike on Trump because Newsom knows most Californians will believe him.
I moved away from Calif, lived my whole life there. I remember signing 3 recalls over the years to oust this moron. Nothing! It just goes to show how dark money can buy anything. Insane how people (idiots) keep voting him in. Now I know why it’s called CommieFornia.
All of this is happening at the cost of the US – Democrats do something and Republicans throw a wrench – Republicans try and make a little progress and Democrats do something to stop it. We have a Stagnant Country with no progress except to bad mouthing each other.
Politicians: Tell us what you’re going to do for the city’s you represent. Fix roads,
infrastructure, airports, Bridges, education (which we have been talking about for the last 50 years with no progress just bickering.
Politicians are the most immature people in this country that need to be recognized while they’re in HS & College – and bared from politics.
One other thing – lets have some prerequisite for office. College Degree, history of success in the last pollical office they have held. Porn Chicks, Failed actors and bartenders are not valid candidates.
Newsom, Mamdani, and Pritzker all need to be put in a small canoe and sent out to sea ! They are the 3 most useless Governors this country has.
Gavin Newsome is definitely the face of the Anti-Christ, Anti-Semitic System! And, such is the case when you look at all Democratic Govern Sates on the whole. They’re corrupt and fraudulent at its root core! Too many people, unfortunately, have become greedy, self-serving, prostituting morallessly themselves for the handout! Sin is the flash-in-the-pan moment of ecstacy for a lifetime of a pain and suffering to which is garnered from that instance of gratification! This is what is expected from a heart darkened towards a path lit with the TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST! All the Gavin Newsomes must be stopped at the Ballot Box this coming Election Cycle! And, it starts with The Safe Act Bill being Voted in for Free, Fair and Balanced Elections, restoring Integrity in all Elections everywhere throughout the USA, in “all” States! All Voting Rolls must be up-to-date and strictly maintained, Voter ID designated by the Federal Government Approved and all Elections to be overseen by the Federal Government Authenticity Appointed Memebers placed in every State at the Voting Polls! This is simply meant to bring about strict overseeing of the entire Free Elections Voting System throughout America. Politicians too, should be held Accountable for their Actions, if, they say one thing and ran on that, they must adhere on a consistent bases or they lied regarding what they ran on and stood for. This is clearly evidenced by the actions of RINOS!
Lord I hope not! Of course if Adam Schiff runs for President he might top Newsom!
This Captcha think is killing me.