Here's a fun political fight that's also about your wallet: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) went after President Donald Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday, blaming the administration for the surge in fuel prices as the U.S. deals with the war in Iran.

It started with a social media post. Newsom quoted a video shared by user @Acyn where Leavitt praised Trump for believing in American "energy dominance" and "bringing down gas prices." The governor was not having it.

"Tell that to everyone now paying the skyrocketing gas prices your boss directly caused, Karoline," Newsom wrote. He pointed out that gas is up 94 cents per gallon over the past year. "Donald Trump's administration continues to live in an alternate universe. What a completely detached failure," he added. So, that's the mood.

Meanwhile, Other People Are Trying to Solve the Problem

While politicians trade barbs, other folks are proposing actual solutions. Illinois Governor Jay Robert 'JB' Pritzker (D) is backing year-round availability of E15 fuel to help bring costs down. E15 is a biofuel blend—85% gasoline, 15% ethanol from corn. It burns cleaner but can wear out some engine parts faster. It's a trade-off.

Then there's the investor perspective. Peter Schiff, co-founder of Echelon Wealth Partners, shared a warning that the U.S.-led blockade on the Strait of Hormuz might be seen as an "act of war" by affected countries. He thinks that move could send crude oil prices soaring above $150 a barrel. For context, we're sitting around $90-$95 right now. That would not be fun for anyone filling up.

And the Counterpunch from the Administration

Not to be outdone, Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took a swing at Newsom. He called the governor a "climate alarmist" for opposing Sable Offshore Corp's (SOC) pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. That pipeline was shut down after a 2015 oil spill.

Duffy also accused Newsom of making California dependent on foreign oil. Newsom's press office had previously criticized reopening the pipeline, arguing it puts communities and California's $51 billion coastal economy at risk. So it's a classic environment-versus-energy security debate, with some political spice on top.

So, What Are Prices Actually Doing?

Here's the latest numbers. Gasoline prices saw a tiny dip on Wednesday. The national average is $4.108 per gallon, according to AAA. In California, it's still painfully high at $5.878 per gallon, though that's down slightly too. If you're looking for a bargain, head to Oklahoma, where fuel is the cheapest in the U.S. at $3.444 per gallon.

On the oil side, crude is holding strong above $90 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $91.85 per barrel, and Brent Crude was at $95.00 per barrel when this was written. Not exactly cheap, and with Schiff's warning, it might not stay this 'low' for long.