Gavin Newsom has become President Donald Trump’s critic-in-chief. What Newsom is not, however, is the affordability-in-chief for California.
The country knows that California has the highest gas prices in the Country. The Internet is awash in memes demonstrating that gas prices is California are roughly $2 a gallon higher than in most other states.
That, along with a host of other California problems – from homelessness to housing prices to poverty – present obstacles to Newsom’s presidential ambitions. So, too, does the Iran War.
Newsom, who recently called Israel an “apartheid” state before appearing to backtrack, is against the war in Iran. Almost no prominent Democrat is for it – with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
California Governor Gavin Newsom at the 33rd Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch in Washington, DC, Saturday, April 25, 2026. Nathan Posner/Shutterstock Newsom has to be against it to run for the Democrat nomination.
Using the Iran war as his excuse, Newsom now seeks to blame Trump for high gas prices in California.
It is true that the Iran War has resulted in higher gas prices nationally.
The problem for Newsom is that prior to the war in Iran, California already had the highest gas prices in the nation – by a wide margin.
Another problem for Newsom is that in order to win the Democratic Party nomination, he has to prove to the activist Democrat donors that he is far-left on climate issues.
Prior to the Iran war, Newsom did that with his support for electric car mandates and regulatory taxes imposed on gas sold in California in the form of “environmental programs.” He also backed very high gas taxes – all of which California consumers pay when they fuel their cars.
If affordability really were Newsom’s priority, followed the launch of the Iran war, he would have suspended the collection of gas taxes.
Given that those costs disproportionally hurt the middle class and the working class, all of whom have to drive long distances to work, it would seem an easy political choice for most politicians.
President Donald Trump speaks during a maternal health event at the White House. REUTERS Fortunately, it is an easier choice for Trump.
On Monday, Trump announced that he would suspend the collection of federal gas taxes so that Americans could have some financial breathing room amid the price surges caused by the war.
He will need congressional approval to do it, but there seems to be political will on both sides.
Trump said the federal government would phase the taxes back in slowly, as prices fell after the war.
That is a whole different skill set than Newsom has. Indeed, in politics, those who can’t, politicize.
The fact that Newsom, and the Democrats running to replace him in California, all blame Trump instead of offering a plan to permanently lower gas prices, makes two things very clear.
First, they want gas prices to remain high, the poor be damned, in pursuit of their agendas.
Second, the problems that beset California won’t be fixed unless and until a Republican takes office.
Thomas Del Beccaro is the chairman of Californians for Election Fairness.
