So here's what's happening with your gas bill, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren: you're paying billions extra because of President Donald Trump's foreign policy. Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat, took aim at the administration on Monday, linking surging pump prices directly to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
"Since Trump started his illegal war with Iran, Americans have paid $8.4 billion more at the gas pump," Warren said. She didn't stop there. Ordinary Americans, she argued, have also coughed up an additional $1,700 per household thanks to what she called "Trump's chaotic, illegal tariffs." Her summary was blunt: "American families are footing the bill for Trump's reckless policies."
While Warren framed it as a cost-of-living crisis driven from Washington, the administration's Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, was talking up a different solution on the ground. He highlighted progress on the Sable Offshore Corp (SOC) pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara, California—a project aiming to supply over 60,000 barrels of oil daily once it revives from a closure triggered by a 2015 spill.
Duffy didn't miss the chance to jab at California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, labeling him a "climate alarmist" who prefers keeping the state hooked on foreign oil. The pipeline's crude, incidentally, is slated for Chevron Corp (CVX), a company that has itself criticized Newsom over the state's air quality board policies targeting greenhouse gases. Not everyone's cheering, though; officials and environmental groups have raised concerns about the pipeline's return.
Meanwhile, at the pump, things are… complicated. Gas prices actually ticked down a bit on Tuesday, with the national average sitting at $4.118 a gallon, per AAA data. But in California and Hawaii, drivers are still facing prices north of $5.65, reminding everyone that regional disparities are very much a thing. On the crude oil front, West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.66% to $96.44 a barrel, and Brent slipped 0.91% to $98.46.
Why the focus on oil prices? Because the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for over a fifth of the world's crude shipments—is in the spotlight. Trump's move toward a U.S.-led blockade there has investors like Peter Schiff warning that oil could rocket past $150 a barrel if things escalate. Iran has already cautioned that blockading the strait would backfire on Americans. So, between Warren's math, Duffy's pipeline pitch, and volatile crude markets, the bill for energy policy is being tallied in real time—and it's landing on kitchen tables and at gas stations across the country.
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