California Governor Gavin Newsom is picking a fight with Chevron — and he wants you to do the same at the pump.

On Thursday, Newsom's official Press Office account on X urged Californians to "avoid Chevron" if they planned on driving "this holiday weekend." The post went on to share what it called a "pro tip": unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines as the name-brand stuff. It also assured drivers that non-brand gasoline meets state standards and keeps "the engine running clean, even if it doesn't have a fancy name like 'Techron.'" (Techron is Chevron's fuel additive that prevents carbon buildup.)

The message was blunt: "Big Oil is already making billions off Trump's Iran War. Don't let them rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name."

This isn't Newsom's first run-in with the oil giant. His office has previously criticized the Trump administration for reopening the Sable Offshore Corp. pipeline, which would supply oil to Chevron. That pipeline was shut down after a 2015 oil spill caused significant damage. Newsom argues it puts communities and California's $51 billion coastal economy at risk.

Meanwhile, Chevron reportedly donated $500,000 to political action committees working with Xavier Becerra, the former Biden-era Health Secretary who is now running in the California Democratic gubernatorial primary. That adds a political undercurrent to the governor's public broadside.

Gas prices in California remain the highest in the country. According to AAA data, the state's average hit $6.143 per gallon on Thursday, a slight decline from recent days. Diesel is at $7.147 per gallon, and Mono County residents are paying the most: $7.041 per gallon. Nationally, the average is $4.564 per gallon, up from $4.555 on Wednesday.

The backdrop is the ongoing Iran War. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameini, has pushed back against a key U.S. nuclear demand, refusing to send Iran's enriched uranium stockpile overseas. President Trump responded by saying the U.S. doesn't "want" the uranium and would "probably destroy it" after acquiring it. "We're not going to let them have it," Trump told reporters.

For California drivers, the message from Newsom is simple: skip the Chevron logo and save a few cents. Whether that's sound advice or political theater, it's a reminder that gas prices — and the forces behind them — are never just about fuel.