California Governor Gavin Newsom may have second thoughts about his recent push for higher gas prices targeting Chevron after facing backlash on social media platform X.
Residents are grappling with some of the highest gas prices in the nation, driven by a mix of heavy state taxes, strict regulations, and the repercussions of the conflict involving the U.S. and Israel with Iran.
On Thursday, Newsom indicated that the struggle at the pump was entirely the fault of gas companies greedily increasing their prices.
His office tweeted, “Chevron profits while America suffers” citing a report predicting Chevron would see windfall profits between $1.6 billion and $2.2 billion due to rising gasoline costs linked to the ongoing war.
This attempt to shift blame was quickly challenged in community discussions.
“California actually collects more in taxes per gallon of gasoline than companies like Chevron, Shell, and Valero earn in profits per gallon,” the memo highlighted.
According to the American Automobile Association, Californians were paying around $5.88 for regular gas on Tuesday, starkly contrasting with the national average of $4.12—about 43% more than the average across the country.
The American Oil and Gas Association criticized Newsom’s viewpoints.
They remarked, “Oh, Dollar Tree Pee-wee and his friends from the Playhouse are back with us,” emphasizing, “We need to correct the narrative: ‘Chevron profits are what’s sustaining us while California suffers.'” I made that fix.”
Mr. Newsom is widely speculated to be strategizing to elevate his national standing in preparation for a potential bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
In his efforts to redefine California as a key adversary of Donald Trump’s policies, Newsom has stated that his office is working to mimic the president’s social media success.
