Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Monday slammed the Donald Trump administration as the situation in the Middle East with Iran remains uncertain and gas prices continue to fluctuate.
‘When Oil Prices Go Up’
In a post on X, Newsom’s Press Office handle shared a screenshot of Trump directing oil companies to reduce prices at the pump. “REMINDER of what Trump said on March 12: ‘When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money’,” Newsom’s Press Office said.
Newsom Defends California Gas Tax
In a separate post, Newsom fended off criticism of California’s gas tax, quoting a post by Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA), who accused Newsom of causing California residents to pay $2 more than the national average price for a gallon of gas.
“55% of the cost of our gas already comes from state imposed taxes and mandates. And now, Newsom wants to raise taxes even more,” Fong said.
The Press Office, in turn, slammed the GOP lawmaker. “The July 1 state gas tax adjustment is REQUIRED by existing state law,” the post said, adding that the gas tax hike was an “automatic, annual mechanism” that was enacted in 2017 and “upheld by voters in 2018,” before Newsom took office.
“The GOP-enabled Iran war has now forced a growing $63 billion in extra fuel costs on Americans nationwide — that $243.14 per California household so far this year,” the post said.
Gas Prices Rise
Newsom’s criticism comes as gas prices in some states saw a steep uptick, with costs rising almost $1 per gallon more than spot prices in states like Florida and Colorado, as well as Michigan.
GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan called the hikes “unwarranted and ridiculous” ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, saying that the prices were “lofty” even with taxes and additional costs factored in.
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Photo courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shuttertsock.com
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