A top Democrat in California's crowded governor's race, Tom Steyer, got absolutely embarrassed by the U.S. Oil and Gas Association after he tried to pin responsibility for the state's atrociously high gas prices on none other than President Trump and the war in Iran.
"California gas prices are absolutely outrageous—all to pay for someone else’s stupid war," Steyer wrote on X. "But any driver knows that this isn’t entirely new. Gas in this state has been way too expensive for way too long. The days of Trump and Big Oil screwing Californians are numbered."
California gas prices are absolutely outrageous—all to pay for someone else’s stupid war.
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) April 9, 2026
But any driver knows that this isn’t entirely new. Gas in this state has been way too expensive for way too long.
The days of Trump and Big Oil screwing Californians are numbered. pic.twitter.com/CH4kjyd1cZ
Not only did the response fact-check Steyer's post, but it got significantly more attention on social media, outshining the original post.
"Hello TomSteyer, California gas prices are 'outrageous'— we agree. It is unfortunate that our customers are not only paying high prices for gasoline but even more to just feed the voracious appetite of a bloated state bureaucracy," an official U.S. Oil and Gas Association X account replied. "But let’s stick to the data instead of the usual Sacramento script."
As of April 2026, they noted, the average gas price in California is $5.89 per gallon, while the national average is $4.08 per gallon. That $1.81 difference has nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury or “Big Oil.” They pointed out that the Golden State has the highest gas taxes & fees in America, totaling about that $1.80 price gap. They went on to blast the state's so-called green agenda, which has compounded the problem.
They began by slamming the special blend of fuel the state uses, which "no other state can supply," leading to a limited supply and, therefore, higher prices. Not only has the special blend had a limited supply, but the state has spent decades closing refineries, enacting low-carbon mandates, and encouraging the importation of fuel rather than producing it itself, U.S. Oil and Gas pointed out.
"You and Governor Newsom keep blaming Trump and producers for the mess Sacramento engineered," they wrote. "Meanwhile, the same CARB regs you cheered are now a national security issue for DoD bases on the West Coast. Trump’s Defense Production Act moves to fix what ideology broke. That’s not 'Big Oil' — that’s basic energy security."
"Energy security isn’t optional. American oil & gas delivers it — when Sacramento gets out of the way," they concluded. "But it sounds like if elected, you're not prepared to get out of the way. At any rate, thank you for sharing your views on this important issue."
Hello @TomSteyer,
— US Oil & Gas Association (@US_OGA) April 10, 2026
California gas prices are “outrageous” — we agree. It is unfortunate that our customers are not only paying high prices for gasoline but even more to just to feed the voracious appetite of a bloated state bureaucracy.
But let’s stick to the data instead of… https://t.co/R9wfxzFMKu
This comes just a few weeks after U.S. Oil and Gas embarrassed Arizona Senator Mark Kelly the same way.
This is from a gas station in Phoenix yesterday: $6.49 for a gallon of gas. All because Trump started war with no plan and no idea how it would affect everyday Americans.
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 24, 2026
I'm fighting to suspend the federal gas tax to bring families some relief, but what they really need is a… pic.twitter.com/7Syh2hR21v
Hello Senator.
— US Oil & Gas Association (@US_OGA) March 25, 2026
This has already been pointed out but allow us to reemphasize that:
33% of Arizona’s gasoline — including the entire Phoenix refined products market — comes from California refineries via pipeline.
With CA Democrat energy policy forcing the closure of major… https://t.co/44GDFzSUVl