Democrat Representative Luz Rivas published a social media post and video recorded at a gas station in Valley Village, California, where regular gasoline was priced at $6.54 per gallon.
In her statement, Rivas asserted that under the current administration, average gasoline costs in Los Angeles County have reached $6.28 per gallon. She stated that residents within her congressional district have spent an estimated $135 million on gasoline since the outbreak of the U.S. conflict with Iran. Rivas characterized the situation as “Trump’s war of choice” and argued that the ongoing military engagement has driven up the cost of living for working-class families while generating record profits for major oil corporations.
Rivas previously voted in favor of a War Powers Resolution intended to halt U.S. military operations in Iran, stating that federal resources should be redirected toward domestic affordability initiatives.
The debate over fuel costs involves distinct arguments regarding federal foreign policy and state-level economic factors:
Energy market data indicates that national fuel prices have experienced upward pressure, with regular unleaded gasoline averaging roughly $4.50 per gallon nationwide. Commodities analysts and lawmakers note that the conflict in Iran has disrupted maritime shipping lanes and increased anxiety among energy traders, leading to broader spikes in global oil and domestic diesel prices. President Trump has defended the administration’s military stance, stating at a campaign event that elevated fuel costs represent a necessary trade-off to counter regional security threats and prevent nuclear proliferation by Iran.
Political opponents and critics of Rivas’s statement argue that federal foreign policy fails to explain why California fuel prices remain significantly higher than the national average.
But wait, there’s more.
Critics point to localized economic factors unique to the state, specifically California’s highest-in-the-nation fuel taxes, environmental regulatory compliance fees, and distinct cap-and-trade programs. Opponents argue these state-mandated costs add over a dollar to every gallon sold, making local Democratic governance and state environmental laws the primary drivers of the regional price disparity.
Democrats chose to tax Californians at ridiculously high rates, then tried to blame the President for the gas prices. That’s a lot of finger pointing for the things Democrats are causing, but what else did you expect from the party of hypocrites?
So they raised taxes on citizens, then blamed the president for it.
Hypocrite Democrats at it again.
— Drastic215 (@drastic215x) September 30, 2026
