Drivers hitting the road for Thanksgiving will find gasoline prices virtually unchanged from a year ago, still sitting at the lowest point for the holiday since the pandemic – and the White House says Democrat-led states are to blame for the national average not being lower.
The average price of a gallon of regular gas was $3.055 on Wednesday, just a tick lower than a year ago when it was $3.056, according to data from AAA.
For the second Thanksgiving in a row, roadtrippers will enjoy prices at the pump far lower than the Biden-era November average of $3.49 per gallon in 2021; $3.80 per gallon in 2022; and $3.44 per gallon in 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Under President Trump, gas prices have fluctuated far less, month-to-month, than during former President Joe Biden’s final year in the White House.
AAA attributes that to “low crude oil prices and no major storms affecting Gulf Coast refineries.”
This year’s Thanksgiving average for a gallon, however, is still more than 25 cents higher than any previous Turkey Day during Trump’s first term, and polling has shown Americans are increasingly concerned about affordability and prices.
“Democrat-led states like California, Hawaii, and Washington that have carried on with Joe Biden’s failed energy policies are dragging the national average of gas prices up,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told The Post.
“While California drivers are paying over $4.60 for a gallon of gas – $1.60 more than the national average – Americans in over half of all US states are paying less than $3.00 per gallon,” Rogers added. “It’s time for radical Democrats to abandon the Green New Scam experiment and embrace President Trump’s successful energy dominance agenda.”
The nation’s three most expensive gas markets are indeed blue states, with California leading the pack at $4.59 per gallon, followed by Hawaii at $4.44 and Washington at $4.19, according to AAA.
Just three states in the top 10 – Nevada, Alaska and Idaho – are led by Republican governors.
The least expensive states for gas — Oklahoma at $2.50 a gallon, Mississippi at $2.60, and Louisiana at $2.62 — have GOP governors.
Of the top 10 lowest cost gas states, only three have Democratic governors – Colorado, Kentucky and Kansas.
A White House official singled out California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “failed experiment with the Green New Scam” as having had a “detrimental” impact on fuel prices in the Golden State.
“Under Newsom’s leadership, Californians have seen a troubling trend of refineries closing their doors due to increasing state regulations,” the official said.
At 71 cents per gallon, California has the highest gas tax in the nation by a wide margin, contributing to the high price at the pump.
The White House official, however, pointed out that in addition to state taxes, the California Energy Commission estimates that environmental compliance costs added as much as $0.54 to the price of a gallon of gas.
Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
