Gasoline is a commodity in the world market, which is why we in America, with excess petroleum production, are experiencing high gasoline prices caused by the Iranian Conflict. This is a partial truth, but gasoline prices are often a political football kicked, mostly, up by our lovely Washington politicians.
The most egregious perpetrators of high gasoline prices are those of the green energy gang that want gasoline eliminated from worldwide use. Their method of causing that to happen is to eliminate production via federal government regulations, mandates, and taxes. They would have no offshore oil production, shutdown production in far Alaska, and close public lands for drilling. Supply goes down; prices go up.
Perhaps the most odious gasoline issues perpetrated on the public by our Washington representatives is the requirement to mix low energy concentration ethanol with gasoline. These lower energy mixes can raise the cost per gallon from $0.50 to $0.75 and raise the cost for driving a certain distance by 20%! Automobiles produced since 2001 are designed to use ethanol safely, but the buyer of the automobile will have likely paid up to $1000 more to obtain that feature.
To eliminate gasoline powered vehicles, the Biden Administration in 2021 mandated phasing out all gasoline automobiles and light trucks by 2027 and all vehicles by 2035. This was matched with $7,500 rebates for those purchasing all electric vehicles. Even with the federal government subsidizing their purchase, much of the public was not interested in giving up their reliable combustion engine automobile or pick-up truck. Range anxiety of EVs charging options offset the subsidy that would be paid for by other citizens. The Biden Administration was slow to install the thousands of EV charger station around the nation paid for by public taxation.
Furthermore, the EV owner was further compensated by not having to pay gasoline taxes that cover road building and maintenance, though minor annual fees were typically charged by their State.
Not through yet with gasoline prices, the Biden Administration gave higher gasoline prices one last push when in June 2022 U.S. inflation hit 9.1 percent. Gasoline prices then shot up to over $1.00 more per gallon then they are today during the Iranian Conflict temporary run-up.
This federal intrusion into the American vehicle markets nearly bankrupted General Motors and Ford when the Trump Administration saved them from having to make the conversion to EVs in such a short time. Since 1975, the U.S. automobile manufactures had been stressed by trying to manufacture a fleet that could meet the Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) Standards. No one mentions what this abortive plan added to the cost of each American vehicle and weakened the three major American automobile companies. Chrysler gave up in 1998 when it was bought by Daimler-Benz AG.
California Democrats have also been especially successful in raising the price gasoline purchased there. The politicians in California have all but eliminated oil and gas production in the state, raised the cost of refining there, complicated gasoline production with elaborate seasonal specifications changes, and high taxes. California produces only about 1% of the crude oil used in the state. The number of refineries in California has dropped from 42 refineries in the state forty years ago to only eleven today. Californians pay approximately $2.00 more for gasoline than most other Americans.
When the Democrats representative complain about Trump’s temporary high gasoline prices caused by major world supply chain shortages with their favorite memory-challenged commentator, both parties conveniently forget to mention that high gasoline prices are taken straight from their own historical playbook. Or that they both opposed Trump’s ‘Drill Baby Drill’ program which keeps us from waiting in gasoline lines again as we did during the Middle East Oil Embargo.
Forgive me if I don’t feel obliged to join the blame game against President Trump for the temporary increases in gasoline prices. High gasoline prices have been a main pillar in the progressive Democratic drive to eliminate fossil fuel usage entirely, which if successful, would make America an energy starved nation dependent on China sources for our EVs and our electricity.
May 7, 2026
John Whitmore Jenkins
