Newsom’s self-inflicted energy exodus

Published April 1, 2026 9:49am ET



Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has launched a blistering offensive against President Donald Trump, squarely blaming the administration’s federal overreach for California’s skyrocketing gas prices, all while refusing to take responsibility for the fact that Californians pay the highest gas prices in the nation on average.

California’s energy exodus began long before Trump returned to office. Newsom wants to blame Trump for every extra dollar drained from Californians’ wallets at the pump, but that argument ignores years of policies of his own making.

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