The White House is blaming Democrat-led states for high gas prices. They say these states’ “failed energy policies” are keeping the national average gas price higher as people travel for Thanksgiving. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers says these states are “dragging the national average of gas prices up.” She calls their plans the “Green New Scam experiment.”
If you’re driving for the holiday, you’ve probably seen the huge difference in prices based on where you live. The national average for regular gas was $3.055 on Wednesday. But that number hides the big price gap across the country.
The difference some Americans are paying is hard to believe. According to the NY Post, Rogers said drivers in states like California are paying “over $4.60 for a gallon of gas.” That’s $1.60 more than the national average. Meanwhile, more than half of all US states have prices under $3.00 per gallon. That’s a big difference in your wallet if you’re taking a long road trip.
Blue states dominate the most expensive gas markets
When you look at the most expensive markets, the White House’s point seems clear. The three most expensive gas markets in the country are all blue states, according to AAA data. California leads at $4.59 per gallon, Hawaii comes next at $4.44, and Washington follows at $4.19. Only three states in the top 10 most expensive markets have Republican governors: Nevada, Alaska, and Idaho.
This pattern flips completely when you look at the cheapest places to fill up. The least expensive states for gas are Oklahoma at $2.50 a gallon, Mississippi at $2.60, and Louisiana at $2.62. All three of these states have GOP governors. Of the top 10 lowest cost gas states, only three have Democratic governors: Colorado, Kentucky, and Kansas.
The current national average of $3.055 is just slightly lower than last year at this time, when it was $3.056. Road trippers are still enjoying prices much lower than the Biden-era November average, which reached $3.80 per gallon in 2022.
Under President Trump, gas prices haven’t changed as much month-to-month as they did during former President Joe Biden’s final year in office. The debate over American consumption habits isn’t new, as seen when a British man criticized American lifestyles in a viral discussion.
However, this year’s Thanksgiving average is still more than 25 cents higher than any previous Thanksgiving during President Trump’s first term. This higher cost is adding to the growing worry Americans have shown in recent polls about affordability and general prices.
The White House official called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “failed experiment with the Green New Scam” as having a “harmful” impact on California’s fuel prices. This isn’t just about general state policy, either. California has the highest gas tax in the nation by far, adding 71 cents per gallon to the price you pay at the pump.
But there’s more than just taxes. The California Energy Commission also estimates that environmental compliance costs add as much as $0.54 to the price of every gallon of gas. You’re basically paying over a dollar just for state taxes and environmental rules before you even think about the price of the oil itself.
Another official noted that under Newsom’s leadership, Californians have seen refineries closing because of increasing state regulations. Questions about American product standards have sparked debate recently, particularly after American and Japanese Big Macs were compared in a viral experiment.
Overall, AAA says the current stability in pricing comes from two main factors: “low crude oil prices and no major storms affecting Gulf Coast refineries.” It seems that while global and weather factors are keeping the baseline stable, state-level policies are what’s really creating that huge price difference you see across the country. It’s definitely a case of location, location, location.
Published: Nov 26, 2025 05:15 pm