U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright slammed Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) after Newsom criticized Wright and President Donald Trump over surging energy costs amid the Iran war.
Almost Everything Newsom Says is ‘False’
In a post published on the social media platform X on Tuesday, Wright said that “almost everything Gavin Newsom says about energy is false.” He also said that if it were not for the measures adopted by Trump, “there would be gas lines in California and trucks wouldn’t be moving,” he added.
Wright claimed Newsom had driven the “highest electricity prices,” as well as the “highest gasoline prices, highest diesel prices and the highest adjusted poverty rate in the nation.”
He also outlined that there were national security concerns with California, as 60% of the state’s oil was “imported from overseas.” Wright also claimed that the state imported oil from Iraq. “California has done everything wrong to make energy expensive in peacetime and in times of conflict,” Wright said.
According to data shared by the California Energy Commission, the state imported 50,783 barrels of oil from Iraq in 2025, second only to Brazil, from which California sourced 52,115 barrels. In total, the state imported 289,748 barrels of oil throughout 2025, the data said.
Gavin Newsom Slams Trump Over Iran, Oil Handouts
The statement came as Newsom criticized energy supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions with Iran. The California Governor had questioned the Trump administration’s actions in protecting consumers from rising energy costs related to supply chain woes caused by the war in Iran.
Newsom also slammed Trump over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to repeal pollution limits on coal and gas power plants, saying that the state intends to sue the administration over the EPA rollback. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had also criticized the EPA’s decision earlier this week.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor.
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