Gas Prices Lower Than Previous Thanksgivings, But White House Blames Democrat States

Americans traveling the nation’s highways for Thanksgiving will see gas prices nearly identical to last year — and still at their lowest holiday level since the pandemic — but the White House is blaming Democrat-run states for keeping the national average elevated.

As of Wednesday morning, the nationwide average for a gallon of regular gas sits at $3.042, according to AAA, down slightly from the $3.056 average a year ago. For the second straight Thanksgiving, drivers are paying far less at the pump than they did during the Biden administration years, when prices surged to $3.49 in 2021, $3.80 in 2022, and $3.44 in 2023, according to federal data. By contrast, under President Donald Trump, gas prices have shown less volatility, with none of the steep month-to-month swings seen during former President Joe Biden’s last year in office.

AAA attributes the lower holiday prices this year to soft crude oil prices and the absence of refinery-disrupting storms in the Gulf. Still, this year’s Thanksgiving average remains more than 25 cents higher than any holiday price during Trump’s first White House term, with polls consistently showing that Americans are concerned about affordability and the cost of living.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the New York Post that Democrat-controlled states are inflating the national average by clinging to Biden’s restrictive energy agenda. “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,” Rogers said. “While California drivers are paying over $4.60 per gallon — $1.60 more than the national average — more than half the country is paying under $3.00.” “It’s time for radical Democrats to abandon the Green New Scam and embrace President Trump’s proven energy-dominance agenda,” she added.

AAA data confirms that the three most expensive gas markets in America are deep-blue states: Only Nevada, Alaska, and Idaho — three states led by Republican governors — also appear among the top 10 highest-price states. Meanwhile, the cheapest gas in the country is found in three GOP-run states: Among the 10 least expensive states, only Colorado, Kentucky, and Kansas are overseen by Democrat governors.

A White House official who spoke with the Post pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “failed Green New Scam experiment” and blamed the Democrat’s policies for the rising cost of fuel. “Under Newsom’s leadership, Californians have watched refineries shut down as regulations pile up, creating a dangerous pattern for consumers,” the official said. California’s 71-cents-per-gallon gas tax — the highest in the nation — is a major driver of the state’s steep pump prices. The state’s own Energy Commission estimates that environmental compliance rules contribute up to 54 additional cents per gallon.