Doug Burgum gives Gavin Newsom brutal reality check on gas prices

Cabinet Secretary Doug Burgum schooled Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday, saying it was the governor and his policies at fault for the “nearly $7-a-gallon” gas prices in California.

“I mean, their energy policies are as CRAZY as Europe. And part of the reason why their prices are so high is they’ve restricted supply and killed their own economy,” Burgum told Fox News.

Gas prices rose by 4 cents to $5.33 on Wednesday, compared with $5.29 one day before, according to the American Automobile Association.

Prices have remained higher in California than the rest of the country over the last week, continuing the uptick driven by the US war with Iran and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s crucifying policies.

The Golden State is the most energy-dependent state in America: “63% of their oil gets imported,” the Secretary of the Interior added.

“Now they’re going to be importing refined product into San Francisco Bay and into Long Beach every day, just to keep their fleet.”

California has more military bases and personnel than any other state, with 32 to 44 major military installations supporting every branch of the US Armed Forces.

These installations host over 162,000 active-duty service members. Newsom has also faced criticism over recent draft regulations under the state’s Cap-and-Invest Program, managed by the California Air Resources Board.

The program limits greenhouse gas emissions and requires major polluters to buy allowances for each ton of carbon they release.

According to the California Energy Commission, this program currently adds about 24 cents per gallon to gas prices in California.

The state’s switch to summer-blend gasoline, which traditionally sends prices climbing in the Golden State ahead of the warmer months, is also likely to contribute to the hike.

Burgum said the increase in price is solely “coming from California,” adding, “Under Newsom, California used to have 40 refineries. Now they have 8, 2 MORE are CLOSING!”

California’s oil refining industry is contracting rapidly, with major facilities closing due to declining demand, strict environmental regulations, and high operating costs.

Recent shutdowns, including the Phillips 66 Los Angeles refinery and the Valero Benicia facility, have eliminated roughly 18% to 20% of the state’s refining capacity, according to the Energy Institute.

“They’re going to be down to six with Chevron and Valero closing!” Burgum said.

Burgum is not the first to criticize Newsom. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose state relies heavily on California for oil, has also warned of “real-world consequences” for his anti-oil policies.

“Governor Lombardo and the oil industry are spending their time running a coordinated campaign to attack California, while Donald Trump’s reckless Iran war has already cost Americans $1.5 billion in gas costs just this week alone — prices are up an average of 56 cents nationwide, not just in California,” Newsom’s office told The Post Tuesday.

“If they’re serious about protecting consumers, they should direct that concern where it belongs: at Donald Trump. There’s no end in sight to Trump’s war taxing American families at the pump, and the silence from his allies is deafening.”

The Post has reached out to the governor’s office for further comment on Burgum’s remarks.

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