President Donald Trump on Monday intensified his pressure campaign against gasoline retailers, demanding they immediately cut prices at the pump after crude oil prices fell sharply. 
&#8220;Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY!&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. &#8220;They&#8217;re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south.&#8221;
&#8220;There will be no gauging [sic], which is totally illegal,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;If Retailers don&#8217;t do this, big problems lie ahead! Start targeting around the $2.50 a Gallon number.&#8221;
Trump also singled out California, where gas averages $5.45 a gallon, blaming the state&#8217;s high gasoline taxes for keeping prices elevated. 
&#8220;California should stop charging such heavy Taxes on their Gasoline,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Soon the Tax will be higher than the Product itself, and the United States will not stand for it, nor will the People of California, who are being abused by these ridiculous Taxes, and by their own Government.&#8221;
Earlier this month, Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-gas-price-gouging-oil-iran-war-hormuz-doj-rcna351522">announced</a> he had directed the Department of Justice to investigate whether major energy companies were unlawfully keeping gasoline prices artificially high despite falling oil costs. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtrcDXCjOIE">Speaking</a> from the Oval Office last week, he specifically named ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP while arguing Americans should already be seeing significantly cheaper gasoline.
&#8220;The gasoline, or the oil prices, have come down so much, and we are not seeing anything at the pump by comparison to what it should be,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We should be, in my opinion, at $2.25 right now at the pump.&#8221;
Oil prices surged earlier this year after fighting between the United States, Israel, and Iran disrupted energy markets and shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world&#8217;s oil supply passes. Brent crude briefly climbed above $100 per barrel during the conflict before retreating as ceasefire negotiations eased fears of prolonged supply disruptions.
Crude now trades near $68 per barrel, but gasoline prices have declined more slowly.
According to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline remains around $3.86, well below the recent peak of roughly $4.50 but still considerably higher than where Trump believes prices should be.
Industry representatives argue that retail gasoline prices naturally lag behind movements in crude oil because refiners, distributors, and retailers work through existing inventories purchased at higher prices.
&#8220;Gasoline prices don&#8217;t move in lockstep with crude oil,&#8221; American Petroleum Institute spokeswoman Bethany Williams said after Trump&#8217;s earlier demand for a Justice Department investigation. She added that supply chains, refinery operations, and inventory levels continue to be affected by the recent Middle East conflict.
Chevron Chief Financial Officer Eimear Bonner similarly told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/25/chevron-gas-prices-trump-big-oil.html">CNBC</a> last week that lower crude prices typically take time to work their way through the fuel supply chain before consumers see meaningful savings at the pump.
Trump, however, has remained unconvinced, arguing Americans should already be seeing dramatic relief.

Trump Administration To Pause Gas Tax As Prices Soar Amid Iran War

Trump Demands Gas Retailers Slash Prices, Warns Of ‘Big Problems’

Donald Trump

Gas Prices

Oil and Gas

The national average gas price dipped below $4 per gallon on Thursday for the first time since March, following President Donald Trump&#8217;s signing of a tentative peace deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Average gas prices stand at $3.99 in the United States, down from $4.03 the day before, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=US">according to AAA.</a> The decline coincides with a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gas-iran-trump-aaa-72d8e7d7c9dcd0795c37a51864fce8a6">15% drop</a> in the price of U.S. crude this month.
Drivers across the South and Midwest are enjoying some of the nation’s cheapest gasoline. Indiana boasts the nation’s lowest average gas price of $3.39 per gallon, while Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and other red-leaning states remain in the same range. On the East Coast, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Rhode Island have also dropped below $4 per gallon.
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Credit: The White House via Storyful
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Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2067594886195343390?s=20">said</a> gas prices could fall below $3 a gallon later this year.
It’s a welcome relief for cash-strapped consumers and perhaps a turnaround for the White House, which has been racing to lower prices ahead of the crucial November elections.
“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are &#8216;tumbling&#8217; down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” President Trump said in a Thursday morning <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116770180426363226">Truth Social post</a>.
On Wednesday night, Trump formally signed the U.S.-Iran agreement aimed at ending the Middle East conflict during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles following the G7 summit. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly signed on behalf of the Iranian regime, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Iran+Deal+In+Surprise+Move%2C+Scrapping+Planned+Ceremony">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. 
The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding guarantees toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, but it also calls on Iran, Oman, and other Gulf states to negotiate the waterway’s long-term administration afterward, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Iran+Deal+In+Surprise+Move%2C+Scrapping+Planned+Ceremony">raising questions</a> about whether future transit fees could be imposed in a way that benefits Tehran.
Gas prices have remained elevated since the war began, peaking at $4.56 per gallon. By comparison, the national average stood at $3.18 on the same date in 2025, according to AAA.
In May, pain at the pump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-surge-past-an-ugly-mark-in-all-50-states">passed an ugly mark</a>, with all 50 states reporting average gas prices at $4 or higher going into Memorial Day weekend. 
Opening the Strait and lowering oil prices appeared to be a top concern for the president. 
“If I did the opposite, if I went out and continued to bomb them … just bomb the hell out of them, I’d get bad press on that, there&#8217;s nothing I can do,” <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2067288719644918150?s=20">Trump said.</a> “Also, we run out of reserves in about four weeks, you know, there are reserves all over the world, and we would really run out, and there&#8217;ll be a time when you wouldn&#8217;t be able to get it, and you want to see bedlam?”  
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to see economic catastrophe. If you kept this going, that could have happened,” <a href="https://x.com/Rory_Johnston/status/2067342729885982986?s=20">Trump added.</a> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump on the Iran War MOU: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to see economic catastrophe. If you kept this going, that could have happened.&#8221;
It&#8217;s honestly a surreal minute to watch:<a href="https://t.co/K7ZRPYklV5">pic.twitter.com/K7ZRPYklV5</a>
— Rory Johnston (@Rory_Johnston) <a href="https://x.com/Rory_Johnston/status/2067342729885982986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2026</a></blockquote>

Pain At The Pump Starts To Ease In First Day After Trump Signs Iran Deal

Iran

News

The average price of gasoline has fallen below $4 per gallon in half of U.S. states, just days after President Donald Trump announced a tentative peace agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In 25 states spanning the Southwest to the East Coast, gasoline prices have fallen below $4 per gallon as global oil prices drop to their lowest level since March, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">according to AAA</a>.
“The decline came as oil prices moved sharply lower in reaction to news of a potential deal between the United States and Iran, though it remains to be seen whether the agreement will hold,&#8221; Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, <a href="https://www.wane.com/top-stories/national-gas-price-average-drops-below-4-a-gallon-for-first-time-since-april-says-gasbuddy/">said.</a>  GasBuddy <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2066871069466632489?s=20">predicted</a> prices could fall to around $3.75 by the Fourth of July if shipping traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz.
It&#8217;s a welcome relief for cash-strapped consumers and perhaps a turnaround for the White House, which has been racing to lower prices and ease the cost-of-living burden ahead of the crucial November elections.
At the national level, the average price of gasoline stands at $4.044, which is down from $4.517. Still, gas prices have remained elevated since the start of the war. At this time in 2025, the national average stood at $3.140, AAA reports.
In May, pain at the pump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-surge-past-an-ugly-mark-in-all-50-states">passed an ugly mark</a>, with all 50 states reporting average gas prices at $4 or higher going into Memorial Day weekend. 
Indiana now reports the lowest gas price in the nation at $3.36 per gallon, with Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and other Southern states only slightly higher. Some East Coast states, including Maryland and Delaware, have dipped below the $4 threshold. 
Out West, gas prices remain above the national average, with California leading at $5.71 per gallon, followed by Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska.
“Americans today will spend &gt;$200 million less on gasoline than they did a month ago, but the cost is still $342 million more than one year ago. Americans will spend ~$1.51 billion today on gasoline,” <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2066508092393607663?s=20">De Haan wrote on social media.</a> 
Gas prices dropped, and stocks surged on news of a potential agreement between the United States and Iran. 
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” Trump wrote, adding, “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” 
A sustained decline in energy prices could also help ease inflation, which has ticked up over the last couple of months. May’s reading showed the hottest inflation rate in three years at 4.2%, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-major-cost-is-falling-fast-after-trump-announces-iran-peace-deal?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=One+Major+Cost+Is+Falling+Fast+After+Trump%E2%80%99s+Middle+East+Breakthrough">The Daily Wire previously reported.</a> 
The proposed peace deal is set to become official on Friday, June 19, at a Swiss signing ceremony. 
“I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there. We will figure it out, but what we know is that we have got a lot of work to do, but it is a very big win for the American people tonight,” Vice President J.D. Vance said.

Gas Stations As Oil Jumps Most In Four Years As Markets React to Conflict In Iran

See The States Where Gas Has Fallen Below $4

Democrats around the country, including California&#8217;s Gavin Newson, are up in arms over spikes in gas prices caused by President Donald Trump&#8217;s war against Iran. 
Missing in their condemnations is any acknowledgement that nobody is better at spiking gas prices than Democrats.
An analysis of AAA gasoline prices found that drivers in states led by Democrats are paying an average of 41 cents more than drivers in Republican states. Blue states currently average about $4.78 per gallon while red states average $4.37 per gallon
Drivers are hit by the blue-state premium regardless of whether the United States is at war with Iran or not. 
States such as California, Washington, Oregon, and New York have implemented various carbon pricing systems, low-carbon fuel standards, emissions mandates, or cap-and-trade programs that place additional costs on fuel producers and refiners. 
Consumers in those states often see those carbon emission fees reflected at the gas pump as producers pass the costs on alongside already high state taxes. California charges a $0.70 tax per gallon of tax, Illinois $0.66, Washington $0.59 with the rest trailing from there with a majority of these states having automatic increases for inflation. 
Leading the pack is California, where gas is currently $6.14 per gallon. The price is driven up by massive taxes, and costly green initiatives that make high gas prices inescapable for drivers.
Economist Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeley&#8217;s Haas School of Business Energy Institute <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/california-gas-tax/3862685/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> that California&#8217;s gas is over a $1.50 higher than the national average “due to the higher taxes we have, the environmental fees we have and that we use a cleaner burning gasoline.”
California law requires that the only fuel allowed is California Reformulated Gasoline, a highly regulated gasoline blend that is more expensive.
Yet Newsom has used the increase caused by unrest in the Middle East as a political cudgel against Trump. Earlier this year he said that the “average price of gas is up 50 cents nationally since Trump launched his war with Iran — the fastest spike at the pump in years.” 
“No amount of spin from Trump and his lackeys can cover up the fact that Americans shelled out an extra $1.5 billion for gas this past week because of his disastrous war with Iran,” Newsom said.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who represents Washington, home of the second-highest gas prices in the country, <a href="https://x.com/PattyMurray/status/2047764846876262883">said</a> last month, &#8220;Gas prices and energy prices are surging. Trump wants to totally defund programs that help drive down costs.&#8221;
She added that the Trump administration has blamed Joe Biden’s clean energy policies for causing price increases, saying, “I guess I missed the part where Joe Biden declared war on Iran.”
Washington has a 55 cent tax on every single gallon of gas, and also has strict mandates for special blends of fuel that are more expensive.
When it comes to energy prices, Democrats regularly fight against initiatives that would make things cheaper for consumers.
New York&#8217;s Kathy Hochul, for example, blocked a new pipeline from being built that would dramatically reduce costs for energy in her state.
The American Energy Alliance says &#8220;residents are stuck with higher natural gas prices due to having to import natural gas from overseas as a result of regulatory restrictions preventing the construction of much-needed pipeline infrastructure.”
Hochul was backed by liberals in the U.S. Congress, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Their statement lists concerns about &#8220;environmental justice,&#8221; &#8220;climate goals,&#8221; and &#8220;marine ecosystems,&#8221; without mentioning cost of living.
“This project, which would bury 17 miles of fracked gas pipeline under the ocean floor in ecologically sensitive waters near Staten Island and the Rockaway Peninsula, poses significant and far-reaching implications for public health, environmental justice communities, climate goals and marine ecosystems,” they <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/nyregion/house-democrats-hochul-gas-pipeline-nyc.html">said</a>. 
Yet Hochul and other top Democrats in New York are slamming Trump for the Iran war.
&#8220;War with Iran and tariffs are driving up gas prices across the state,&#8221; Hochul said. “ New Yorkers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the mess Washington Republicans created.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) similarly <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/2054235351665775040">argued</a> last week that “Americans are paying over $4.50 a gallon for gas because Trump refuses to end this war.&#8221;

Inflation Resurgence Squeezes US Voters As Prices Rise

Why Blue States Always Pay More For Gas

California

Democrats

Gavin Newsom

Kathy Hochul

New York

Fresh polling shows only one demographic group believes Iran is winning the war against the United States. 
By a 13-point margin, Democrats say the United States is losing the war against Iran, <a href="https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/05/fox_may-15-18-2026_national_cross-tabs_may-21-release.pdf?_gl=1*1u4uuop*_ga*TTJPbE8yN2xlNFB0cHB2LUVuTzhaRmlXWFJNNHFyNEROZWVDQlFwZ2tqS1c0LW45bWNGaDAxX0dpbUZxRk9Ucg..*_ga_RH94J2NTVM*MTc3OTQwMzY3OS4yMC4xLjE3Nzk0MDM2ODUuMC4wLjA.&amp;shem=rimspwouoe,">according to Fox News polling</a>, the only demographic group to say so. About 56% of Democrats buy into that narrative, mostly 2024 Kamala Harris voters and white women with advanced degrees. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fox News Poll: Who do you think is winning the war in Iran &#8211; The U.S. or Iran?
🇺🇸 U.S. &#8211; 65% 
🇮🇷 Iran &#8211; 34% 
—— 
Net 
🇺🇸 White: US +31 
🇺🇸 Black: US +39 
🇺🇸 Hispanic: US +48 
🇮🇷 Democrats: Iran +13 
🇺🇸 Republicans: US +79 
🇺🇸 Independents: US +32<a href="https://t.co/neoRG9F023">https://t.co/neoRG9F023</a> <a href="https://t.co/Q032Gz2NaV">pic.twitter.com/Q032Gz2NaV</a>
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAPolls2022/status/2057635369965732063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
Overall, a significant majority of Americans — 65% — say the U.S. is besting Iran in the Middle East conflict. 
That large coalition includes most Republicans and independents, plus large swaths of white, black, and Hispanic voters. The voters most likely to say America is winning the conflict consist of Trump 2024 voters (89%), white evangelicals (80%), and Catholics (73%). 
For months, Democrats have led the charge in the anti-war messaging, forcing weekly votes on war powers resolutions and even calling for the president&#8217;s removal from office during negotiations.
“This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The president’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,” Congresswoman Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/2041563794787193194?s=20">said in an April 7 social media post.</a>
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) accused Trump of “threatening mass death if he doesn’t get his way.”
“Congress needs to pull the emergency brake now,” <a href="https://x.com/SenWarren/status/2041615549797470590?s=20">she said in a video.</a> “Every Republican who votes to let this war continue bears a portion of the responsibility for what is happening in Trump’s war.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-war-powers-vote-iran-tammy-duckworth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed to force votes</a> on war powers resolutions every week until the war ends or enough Republicans cross over.
While most Americans agree that the United States is winning the war, voters appear frustrated by rising fuel prices and are increasingly blaming the conflict for pain at the pump. A whopping 91% — which stretches beyond party and demographic lines — say the war with Iran is responsible for high gas prices, according to the Fox News survey. 
All 50 states now report average gas prices at $4 or higher, adding more pain at the pump for travelers ahead of Memorial Day weekend, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-surge-past-an-ugly-mark-in-all-50-states?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gas+Prices+Surge+Past+An+Ugly+Mark+In+All+50+States">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>.
Despite the pain at the pump, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. The forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record, according to AAA. 
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/05/45-million-americans-planning-memorial-day-weekend-getaways/">said</a>. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”

House Republican Hardliners Warn Of A Delay To Tax Vote

Only One Group Of Americans Think Iran Is Winning

Trump

All 50 states now report average gas prices at $4 or higher, adding more pain at the pump for travelers ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
As of Wednesday, the national average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. stands at $4.56, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">according to AAA</a>, a slight increase from a week earlier and up 49 cents from a month ago. One year ago, the average price of gas sat at $3.17. 
Gas prices have slowly but steadily climbed for three straight months since President Trump, on February 28, launched military strikes against Iran&#8217;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In response, the Iranian government closed the Strait of Hormuz, significantly straining global oil stockpiles and pushing energy prices higher. 
&#8220;We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. You want to see the world exploded? You want to see a problem? And this is peanuts,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2057133359931777327?s=20">Trump said when asked about gas prices</a>. &#8220;And I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. It won&#8217;t be much longer.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump dismisses rising gas prices as &#8216;peanuts&#8217; <a href="https://t.co/IabdsJSVRF">pic.twitter.com/IabdsJSVRF</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2057133359931777327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
Georgia has the lowest gas prices at $4.01 per gallon, according to AAA. Other Southern states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama, also report prices just over $4.
Across the country, California has the highest average gas prices in the United States, with a gallon of gas averaging $6.14 in the Golden State. The top Democrats running for California governor refuse to consider suspending the 61.2-cent state-imposed gas tax, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrats-could-instantly-lower-gas-prices-they-refuse-to-do-it">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>. Both Republicans in the race, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, said they were in favor of suspending the tax.
Other Western states report higher-than-average gas prices, including Washington at $5.79, Hawaii at $5.65, Oregon at $5.35, and Nevada at $5.27. Gas prices in the Rust Belt, including battleground Michigan, report higher-than-average as well. 
Despite the pain at the pump, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21, and Monday, May 25. The forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations, according to AAA. 
“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/05/45-million-americans-planning-memorial-day-weekend-getaways/">said</a>. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.” 
Trump, in recent weeks, has teased eliminating the federal gas tax for temporary relief, a proposal that faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Congress. 
“I think it’s a great idea,” the president said in a <a href="https://x.com/nancycordes/status/2053849805185548395">phone interview</a> with CBS’s Nancy Cordes. “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.”

Gas Prices Surge Past An Ugly Mark In All 50 States

Memorial Day

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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum delivered a blistering rebuke of California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, accusing Newsom of creating a self-inflicted energy crisis as he blames President Donald Trump for his state&#8217;s near-record high gas prices.
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Burgum&#8217;s comments follow months of escalations from Newsom, who has characterized the recent spike in fuel costs as “Donald Trump’s crisis.” Newsom argues that the president’s aggressive foreign policy and military actions in Iran have destabilized global oil markets, sending California’s prices to a staggering $6.15 per gallon this month.
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“California hasn&#8217;t changed anything as it relates to that cost,” Newsom <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XZ2fysBtJk">insisted</a>, claiming that state-level baseline costs have remained static. “The cost at the pump has been for one reason: Donald Trump&#8217;s recklessness as it relates to the war in Iran, period, full stop.” In March, Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/03/10/governor-newsom-blasts-trump-for-raising-gasoline-prices-on-americans-with-no-plan-and-no-accountability/">dismissed</a> Trump’s “Drill Baby Drill” mantra as a “lie to enrich Big Oil donors,” claiming that American families are paying $1.5 billion more at the pump weekly while corporations “cash in on Trump’s chaos.”
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Burgum took the governor to the woodshed, dismantling Newsom’s narrative by pointing to California’s specific policy choices. Burgum highlighted that California has intentionally isolated itself from the American energy grid, effectively becoming an “energy island.”
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“California is leading in highest energy prices, highest taxes, and out-migration,” Burgum stated. “They’ve blocked every pipeline, they block transmission lines &#8230; and then they’re complaining to this administration about their high energy prices.”
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Burgum noted a startling vulnerability in California’s infrastructure: the state is uniquely dependent on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz. While the rest of the country has increased domestic energy security, California imports roughly 60% of its oil by ship. Burgum also pointed to the systematic dismantling of California’s refining capacity, noting the state has plummeted from 40 refineries to just six, while Texas continues to expand its capacity.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Trump Interior Sec. Doug Burgum PUMMELS Gavin Newsom, exposing that California is the only American state to rely on Strait of Hormuz oil — and BLOCKED *every new pipeline*
Yet Gavin blames Donald Trump for his insane gas prices. PATHETIC.
BURGUM: &quot;California was… <a href="https://t.co/BtPXAjA6yi">pic.twitter.com/BtPXAjA6yi</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2053927384940958192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Comparative data underscores the &#8220;California Premium.&#8221; While California gas prices hit $6.15 in May 2026, Texas remains significantly lower at $4.01, and even the leftist bastion of New York sits at $4.58, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>. California’s lowest prices in 2025 were still higher than the highest prices in almost every other state.
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Ultimately, Burgum’s reality check exposes the governor’s rhetoric as a desperate attempt to deflect from decades of radical environmental mandates. While Newsom points fingers at the White House, the data suggests the &#8220;crisis&#8221; is a direct result of California&#8217;s own war on affordable energy.
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By strangling its own production and blocking the very pipelines that would provide relief, Newsom has ensured that Californians pay the highest price for his political agenda — leaving the state to suffer the consequences of a &#8220;condition they created for themselves.&#8221;
</div>

Gavin Newsom/Doug Burgum

Newsom Blames Trump For California’s High Gas Prices. Burgum Takes Him To The Woodshed.

Doug Burgum

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning a pause in the federal 18-cent gas tax to bring pump prices under control.
CBS News reported on Monday that Trump wanted to pause the federal gas tax as the national average price per gallon has risen to $4.52, with states like California, where gas prices average around $6.15 per gallon, driving the average higher. Most have attributed that dramatic spike in prices to the ongoing war with Iran, and Trump has predicted that prices would return to normal levels, if not lower, before the end of the year.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a great idea,&#8221; the president said in a <a href="https://x.com/nancycordes/status/2053849805185548395">phone interview</a> with CBS&#8217;s Nancy Cordes. &#8220;Yup, we&#8217;re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we&#8217;ll let it phase back in.&#8221;
Cordes said that she also asked whether the Trump administration was considering a bailout for the airline industry as fuel costs continue to rise — and the president did not appear to think that was necessary.
&#8220;In our interview, Trump did not embrace the idea of a bailout for US air carriers as they contend with jet fuel costs that have doubled since the start of the war. A bailout proposal &#8216;hasn&#8217;t really been presented,&#8217; he said. &#8216;The airlines are doing not badly,'&#8221; Cordes posted.
Trump also made it clear that the United States was not closer to a deal with Iran to end the war and bring down the gas prices that way, telling Cordes that the Iranian regime&#8217;s latest offer was &#8220;a bad proposal, a stupid proposal, actually &#8230; done by people that have no clue as to the danger they&#8217;re in. Very stupid proposal. Badly written, badly delivered.&#8221;
Suspending the gas tax — which is 18.4 cents per gallon for regular and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel — cannot be done by executive order, however, and would require Congress to act.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said that he was ready to move on that, however, and <a href="https://x.com/HawleyMO/status/2053851177079484834">posted</a> on X Monday, &#8220;I’m introducing legislation today to suspend the gas tax.&#8221;
When faced with a similar situation in the spring of 2022, former President Joe Biden opted instead to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/while-biden-brags-about-releasing-oil-from-emergency-oil-stockpile-reserve-plunges-to-lowest-level-since-1985">drain resources</a> from the strategic oil reserves — to the tune of about 200 million barrels — dropping the reserves to their lowest levels since the mid-1980s.

California gas prices surge average surpassing $6 per gallon for regular unleaded

Trump Considers Move That Could Change Your Summer Plans

Gasoline

Iran war

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

President Donald Trump pushed back on his own energy secretary&#8217;s gas price prediction on Monday as Americans continue to get pinched at the pump.
Trump said Energy Secretary Chris Wright is &#8220;totally wrong&#8221; after Wright told CNN on Sunday that average gas prices in the United States could stay above $3 into 2027.
&#8220;I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump told The Hill.
The president added that gas prices would start dropping “as soon as this ends,” referring to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
During an interview on Sunday, Wright said he wasn&#8217;t sure when exactly gas prices would start coming back down, but predicted, &#8220;That might not happen until next year.&#8221;
“But prices have likely peaked and they will start going down,” Wright added. “Certainly, with a resolution of this conflict, you will see prices go down. Prices across the board on energy prices will go down.”
Gas prices appeared ready to drop late last week when oil prices tumbled to under $90 per barrel shortly after Trump and Iran announced a ceasefire that would allow ships to traverse the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement to open the strait, however, was short-lived as Iran said on Sunday that it was once again blocking ships in response to Trump keeping the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in place.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard attacked two oil tankers over the weekend, and shipping traffic through the strait came to a standstill once again, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/20/strait-hormuz-ship-tanker-oil-iran-war.html">reported</a>.
Brent crude jumped back up to over $95 per barrel on Monday morning, and average gas prices in the United States remain above $4 per gallon as of Monday afternoon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>. Recent <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/poll-trumps-approval-rating-hits-second-term-low-economy-iran-war-rcna331462">polls</a> indicate that many Americans are <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3956">frustrated</a> with the sharp rise in gas prices that followed Trump&#8217;s decision to launch &#8220;Operation Epic Fury.&#8221;
Democrats have attacked the Trump administration over the rise in gas prices, with Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/world/middleeast/energy-secretary-gas-prices.html">saying</a> on Sunday, “Americans literally can’t afford the Trump presidency.” At $4.04 per gallon on average, gas prices are at their highest level since June of 2022, when President Joe Biden was in office.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to meet with Iranian officials in Pakistan this week for another round of negotiations as the ceasefire is set to expire at 8:00 p.m. EST Tuesday. Trump said on Monday that he feels &#8220;no pressure whatsoever&#8221; to secure a deal with Iran.
&#8220;Time is not my adversary, the only thing that matters is that we finally, after 47 years, straighten out the MESS that other Presidents let happen because they didn’t have the Courage or Foresight to do what had to be done with respect to Iran,&#8221; he said.

President Trump Holds Roundtable On The Ratepayer Protection Pledge At The White House

Trump Says His Energy Secretary’s Gas Price Prediction Is ‘Totally Wrong’

Chris Wright

Economy

The Environmental Protection Agency temporarily is set to cut regulations on fuel blended with ethanol in an effort to address gas prices which have soared in recent weeks due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.
President Donald Trump&#8217;s EPA <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-fortifies-domestic-fuel-supply-provides-americans-relief-pump-approving-nationwide">said</a> on Wednesday that it is waiving federal restrictions to allow the nationwide sale of gas blended with 15%, commonly referred to as E15. The sale of E15 is barred in much of the United States during the summer months to cut back on air pollution. The EPA is also removing &#8220;all federal impediments&#8221; on the sale of E10 gas. The Trump administration&#8217;s move to free up the sale of E10 and E15 gas is set to take effect on May 1 and remain in place until May 20, and it could be extended.
“EPA is working with our federal partners to reduce unnecessary costs and uncertainty and ensure that gas prices remain affordable for all Americans through the summer. This emergency action will provide American families with relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have an affordable domestic energy supply. The Trump Administration has made great strides on this during the first year and will continue to do so.”
Gas prices climbed to a national average of nearly $4 per gallon this week, marking the highest nationwide average since 2022, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>. Diesel prices, meanwhile, have jumped around 40% to an average of $5.37 per gallon. The drastic rise in fuel prices is due to the ongoing war in Iran as the Iranian regime&#8217;s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz has effectively shut down passage in the strait where around 25% of the world&#8217;s oil must pass through.
While the United States doesn&#8217;t import much of its oil from the Middle East, the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global oil markets, causing prices to rise throughout the world. Brent crude, the international benchmark price point for oil, spiked to nearly $120 per barrel in recent weeks after it sat between $60-$70 per barrel for most of 2025. As of Wednesday afternoon, Brent crude was at $98 per barrel.
President Trump has acknowledged that Americans are feeling some more pain at the pump, but said in the early days of the Iran war that the operation is &#8220;far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.&#8221; Trump added that gas prices would drop &#8220;very rapidly&#8221; once the major military operation had concluded.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 10, &#8220;The recent increase in oil and gas prices is temporary. And this operation will result in lower gas prices in the long-term.&#8221;
Some of America&#8217;s allies — including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan — suggested earlier this week that they are prepared to help the United States secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Moves To Address Rising Gas Prices As Iran War Disrupts Global Market

Trump Administration

Attacking Iran while pushing affordability at home has put President Trump in a tough spot, but this is the United States of America. We can shoot guns and churn butter at the same time.
So far, the President is making all the right moves. Releasing oil from the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/11/trump-strategic-petroleum-reserve-00823816">strategic reserve</a>, considering a temporary <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-tells-oil-industry-prepare-jones-act-waiver-domestic-2026-03-12/">suspension of the Jones Act</a>, and offering tankers naval escorts and U.S.-backed insurance for their passage through the Strait of Hormuz will all help keep the oil flowing.
If he can wrap the war relatively soon, gas prices could be back to normal before the midterms. They might even be lower if he manages to arm-twist whoever ends up ruling Iran into redirecting their oil exports from China to the West.
In the meantime, Trump is <a href="https://www.socialnews.xyz/2026/03/12/trump-claims-economic-surge-in-ohio-speech/">traveling the country</a> to <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/trump-affordability-kentucky-ohio-iran-war/amp/">tout</a> all the ways he’s already brought down the cost of living: no tax on tips and overtime, lower drug prices thanks to TrumpRx and most-favored nation pricing, mild inflation, lower mortgage rates, and trillions of dollars’ worth of job-creating investments in the American economy.
These are all huge wins, but this is no time for the Trump administration to rest on its laurels. It needs a forward-looking agenda that tells voters they’re nowhere near done saving them money and the best is yet to come.
These proposals should be easy to shape into compelling campaign messages and should address key sources of cost-of-living anxiety like housing, groceries, and childcare. Bonus points if they involve Congress, since they’re the ones who’ll actually appear on the ballot in November.
If Trump wants to preserve voters’ goodwill in the midst of the ongoing conflict, he should start by working with Congress to fix and then pass the <a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/scott-warren-release-21st-century-road-to-housing-act-legislative-package-to-boost-housing-supply-and-bring-down-costs">21st Century ROAD to Housing Act</a>, which aims to bring down home prices by making it easier to build.
Letting this bill fail due to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/12/housing-affordability-bill-senate-passage">GOP opposition in the House</a> would make the party less credible as champions of affordability. Unfortunately, with the bill in its current form, that opposition is justified.
The bill would ban investors from constructing new “built-to-rent” (BTR) single-family homes, a key option for many families who long to live in a home as opposed to an apartment. This would remove a key <a href="https://eyeonhousing.org/2024/08/solid-levels-of-single-family-built-for-rent-construction/">source of new housing inventory</a> from the market at a time when overall home construction is <a href="https://katv.com/news/connect-to-congress/limits-on-build-for-rent-homes-in-housing-bill-draws-industry-pushback-21st-century-road-to-housing-act-institutional-investors-housing-supply-home-affordability">dropping sharply</a>.
If the bill is supposed to increase housing supply and lower costs, it should do that, not give with one hand and take with the other.
It’s true that BTRs don’t satisfy the dream of home ownership. They could, however, help millions of young couples afford the space they need to start families now instead of putting it off for years while they save for a down payment.
Second, Trump should find a way to put money in parents’ pockets as soon as possible. Trump accounts will pay off “bigly” in 18 years or so — especially if more billionaires follow <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/12/landmark-dell-gift-supercharges-trump-accounts-for-americas-kids/">Michael and Susan Dell’s example</a> — but families with young children are struggling right now.
There is a proposal floating around among conservative family policy experts that would accomplish this goal. It’s called the <a href="https://americancompass.org/the-family-income-supplemental-credit/">Family Income Supplemental Credit (or FISC)</a>, and it would essentially increase the Child Tax Credit and distribute it as series of monthly cash payments: $800 a month for the second half of pregnancy, $400 a month from birth through age six, and $250 a month from ages 6 to 18.
In the 2024 election, parents with minor children at home <a href="https://catholicvote.org/parents-of-minor-kids-voted-for-trump-by-wide-margin-after-backing-biden-harris-in-2020/">voted for Trump</a> by a nine-point margin after breaking for Biden four years earlier. If they’d all stayed home, Harris would’ve won the popular vote 50-48 (and possibly the Electoral College too). Rewarding this key group of swing voters for producing the next generation of Americans would pay huge dividends for Republicans in the 2026 midterms and beyond.
Finally, Trump could rack up an easy and immediate win without help from Congress by simply ending his predecessor’s war on bulk pricing.
Lina Khan, the radical progressive Biden chose to run the Federal Trade Commission, spent four years trying to punish American companies for the crime of success.
Two of her lawsuits, against Pepsi and alcoholic beverage distributor Southern Glazer’s, used an obsolete Depression-era law to argue that suppliers cannot offer bulk discounts to their largest customers. If either of these lawsuits were to succeed, it would drive up prices at some of Americans’ favorite retailers, including Walmart and Costco.
The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/05/ftc-dismisses-lawsuit-against-pepsico">dismissed</a> the Pepsi lawsuit last May, but the other is <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/2110155-southern-glazers-wine-spirits-llc-ftc-v">still pending</a>. Trump should put this question to bed once and for all by urging his FTC Commissioner, Andrew Ferguson, who has already slammed the suit as government overreach, to drop the case. There’s no better way to win the working family vote than to get up on stage and declare, “I saved Costco!”
The war with Iran is a complication few political strategists would have wished for this close to the midterms. But if President Trump can keep the oil flowing, end the war quickly, and demonstrate his continued commitment to affordability, voters will happily forgive a little temporary pain at the pump, especially when it creates more world peace.
* * *
Jason Chaffetz served as a member of the U.S. Congress from 2009 to 2017. He chaired the House Oversight Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Yes, Trump Can Fight Iran And Save American Families Money At the Same Time

2026 Midterms

affordability

Congress

Opinion

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Friday suspended the state&#8217;s gas tax amid rising fuel prices as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran enters its third week.
The move &#8211; the first such relief offered by a U.S. state since the war started on February 28 &#8211; suspends Georgia&#8217;s tax of 33.3 cents per gallon on gas and 37.3 cents per gallon on diesel for 60 days.
The conflict has choked supplies from the Middle East &#8211; one of the world&#8217;s top oil-producing regions &#8211; so severely that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering military options to ensure safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route near Iran.
The U.S. national average gas price on Friday was $3.912 a gallon, the highest since October 2022 and up 31% since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began.
Fifty-five percent of respondents in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll said their household finances had taken at least &#8220;somewhat&#8221; of a hit from the increases in gas prices. Among those seeing an impact, 21% said their finances were affected &#8220;a great deal.&#8221;
Trump told Reuters earlier this month he was not concerned about the rising prices at the pump, saying he expected prices to decrease &#8220;very rapidly&#8221; once the war ended.
Fox News, citing the White House, reported on Friday that the Trump administration was working on options to alleviate the burdens felt by Americans at the pump.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; editing by Michelle Nichols)

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