Gasoline prices are currently rising all over the country, and reports indicate that a gallon of regular unleaded gas in California already costs $6 in some locations. The rise in prices enraged California residents, and many directly blamed U.S. President Trump’s actions in the war with Iran for the problem.
According to KTLA, the increase in prices happened due to a major disruption in an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, as well as instability in the Strait of Hormuz due to the war. Reports indicate that California has the highest average prices in the country, while the national average is $4.32 per gallon.
Some parts of Los Angeles are reported to have even higher prices, going up to $6.04, and the average price of diesel reached $8.15.
California Residents Comment on Gas Prices
Californians expressed a mixture of fear and anger when commenting on the situation on r/California. A seemingly hopeless person said: “Based on current world events, it will only go higher.”
Others shared their stories about how prices were rising quickly: “We’d been lingering at $5.85 in Tahoe all summer. It just jumped to $6 at the start of the holiday weekend. Anything below $5 and I feel like I’m getting a deal.”
Someone asked: “My station diesel price is $8.30. Something is going to break.” Another person responded, blaming the Trump administration: “Our wallets. Crazy how Republicans still support trump and his corruption. Seriously cult. I would take mitt Romney in a heart beat compared to the current MAGA Republicans.”
Multiple individuals believed that the problem came mostly from the federal government: “Friendly reminder that gas prices do not affect California’s ‘coastal elites’ as much as it affects the ‘real’ Americans from the flyover states. Another self-owned by MAGA.”
However, some also blamed the local Democratic government for having high taxes, which made prices even higher in California: “A big part of CA’s fuel prices is caused by CA. The rest of the country whether left of right, has nothing to do with supply issues and taxes created by CA on their fuel. Maybe take a long hard look at yourself and the people you vote into office this upcoming November and perhaps the cost imbalance between CA and the rest of the county can be addressed.”
With the end of the tensions with Iran nowhere in sight, it’s hard to tell when prices will come back to normal, or even whether these new ones are what normal will look like in the future.
