Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) took a swing at President Donald Trump on Tuesday, highlighting how surging gas prices are squeezing Americans as the Iran war drags on.
In a post on X, Newsom's official Press Office handle shared a clip from an interview. "Donald Trump says he doesn't care about gas prices," the post read, adding that "working families" don't have that "luxury."
"The cost of diesel is off the charts," Newsom said in the clip, warning that grocery prices will soon reflect the higher costs truckers face. "We're going to see this cascading effect because of what Donald Trump has recklessly done."
The post also noted that "even if the Iran conflict ended tomorrow, the economic damage would take months to unwind." Newsom didn't stop there—he also took aim at Trump's tariff and trade policies, as well as the administration's decision to abandon alliances with other countries.
According to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average gas price has fallen slightly to $4.491 per gallon. But California is feeling the pain most acutely, with the average price hitting $6.109 per gallon. Diesel is even worse: the national average is $5.584 per gallon, while California drivers are paying a staggering $7.377 per gallon.
Crude oil prices edged lower on Tuesday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $91.97 per barrel, down 2.04%, while Brent crude fell 1.59% to $98 per barrel. The United States Oil Fund (USO), an ETF that tracks WTI, dipped 0.29% in after-hours trading on Friday.
Newsom has been a vocal critic of the administration's handling of the Iran war and rising fuel costs. He previously urged California residents to avoid Chevron Corp. (CVX), accusing big oil companies of profiting from the conflict. He also called on Trump to lower gas prices as they exceeded $6 per gallon in the state, and slammed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for suggesting Americans take road trips.
Gas prices hit record highs over Memorial Day weekend, reaching levels not seen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
