Newsom accuses Chevron of spiking gas prices before Memorial Day weekend

As Californians hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, gas giant Chevron and Gov. Gavin Newsom are duking it out over who is responsible for the price that travelers are paying at the pump. 

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On Thursday, Newsom took to social media to warn the state that oil giant Chevron was going to price-gouge over the Memorial Day weekend. His post came as gas prices are at their highest since 2022. 

“Californians, if you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, be sure to AVOID Chevron,” Newsom said in the post. “Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines, and it meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean, even if it doesn’t have a fancy name like ‘Techron.’ Big Oil is already making billions off Trump’s Iran War; don’t let them rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name.”

Californians, if you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, be sure to AVOID Chevron.

Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines, and it meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean, even if it doesn’t have a fancy… pic.twitter.com/FMTnNHE0Bn

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 21, 2026

Drivers stopping at the pump in California will pay an average of $6.14 this holiday weekend, according to AAA. In Southern California, the prices are expected to be higher than they were during Memorial Day weekend in 2022 and only 30 cents shy of their all-time record. 

Chevron spokesperson Ross Allen told SFGATE that Newsom had it wrong, placing the responsibility on California’s lawmakers. 

“Most Chevron-branded gas stations in California are independently owned and operated,” Allen said Friday. “Attacking California’s small businesses like this is deeply unfair and irresponsible.”

As Californians already pay the nation’s highest gas prices, according to AAA, finger-pointing has been rampant during the recent price surge.

“Sacramento policies did this. Now you pay more,” a sign at a Santa Clara gas station reads. The sign includes a QR code that Californians can scan to read more. Allen said the company has been running the campaign at California gas stations for three years.

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For its part, Allen said the company is continuing to try to educate Californians about Sacramento’s energy and tax policies.

“These adversarial policies have resulted in California losing nearly 18% of its refining capacity in less than a year,” Allen said.

According to the Energy Information Administration, California gas prices include fees that make the fuel burn cleaner to meet environmental standards. According to the California Air Resources Board, state law also requires all gas, including unbranded gas, to contain detergent additives to meet state standards.

Anthony Martinez, a spokesperson for Newsom’s office, told SFGATE the war in Iran is largely to blame for the increase Californians have seen at the pump and that Chevron-branded gas is consistently 60 to 80 cents more per gallon than that of its competitors. 

“Since Trump’s reckless Iran war began, 47 states have had a higher percentage increase in gas prices compared to California,” Martinez said. “Today, gas prices are over 52% higher nationwide, and average national prices have risen by 8.1 cents more than California prices since the start of the war. Why? Because Donald Trump decided to bomb Iran with no plan to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, trapping an estimated 20% of the global oil supply in the Persian Gulf.” 

Newsom spokesperson Martinez was quick to remind California travelers that “Donald Trump’s reckless Iran war is forcing Americans to pay 53% more at the pump and higher prices on everything from groceries to airfare,” he said. “Americans shouldn’t also be paying a Chevron profit premium on top of that.”