Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hit out at Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Monday, accusing the latter of letting his state be dependent on foreign oil suppliers amid the U.S.-Iran war.<\/p>\n
In a post on the social media platform X, Duffy shared a video, touting President Donald Trump\u2018s call to oil producers to \u201cDrill baby drill,\u201d as the Transportation Secretary shared the progress of Sable Offshore Corp\u2018s pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.<\/p>\n
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\u201cClimate alarmist @GavinNewsom would rather Californians be dependent on foreign oil,\u201d Duffy said in the post, accusing critics of \u201cplaying politics.\u201d He then shared that the Department of Transportation\u2019s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was \u201cworking overtime to ensure that the oil is flowing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The video showcased the oil rig\u2019s production capabilities, sharing that the pipeline would deliver 60,000 barrels of oil every day to consumers in California.<\/p>\n
Climate alarmist @GavinNewsom<\/a> would rather Californians be dependent on foreign oil. Our response?<\/p>\n DRILL, BABY, DRILL. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8<\/p>\n While others are busy playing politics, @PHMSA_DOT<\/a> is working overtime to ensure that the oil is flowing, and that it’s flowing SAFELY<\/p>\n ENERGY DOMINANCE is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4nHH5743ZF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Newsom has been a vocal critic of the administration\u2019s decision to reopen the Sable pipeline after a 2015 oil spill led to its closure. The decision has been criticized by State officials and environmental groups, who have continued to argue against reopening the pipeline.<\/p>\n The Governor\u2019s Press Office had said that the decision to reopen the pipeline puts communities as well as California\u2019s $51 Billion coastal economy at risk. The pipeline will reportedly supply crude oil to Chevron Corp, which has criticized Newsom for the California Air Resources Board\u2019s (CARB) \u201cdisastrous\u201d policies aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions in the state.<\/p>\n Trending:\u00a0Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your \u2018Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time<\/a><\/p>\n Gas prices have continued to rise, with data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) showing that the national average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.125 on Monday. Californians continued to pay the highest prices at the pump, with a gallon of gas costing $5.893 in the state.<\/p>\n Investor Peter Schiff also sounded out concerns over Trump\u2019s decision to begin a U.S.-led blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sharing that oil prices could be at over $150\/barrel in the near future if the situation escalates further.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Newsom hit out at the Trump administration amid soaring gas prices, saying that the President\u2019s \u201cunhinged war with Iran\u201d was forcing ordinary people \u201cin every single state to pay over a dollar more for a gallon of gas.\u201d<\/p>\n Donald Trump’s unhinged war with Iran is forcing Americans in every single state to pay over a dollar more for a gallon of gas.<\/p>\n And yet, he can’t even pretend to care about the damage he’s causing. https:\/\/t.co\/SthjD2Pls7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.<\/a><\/p>\n TV host Jim Cramer lamented analysts not taking the crude oil price surge into account in their analyses, calling them \u201cPanglossian\u201d or naive, accusing them of wanting to \u201cbuy the dip\u201d ahead of Trump\u2019s blockade, which they think could make the markets rally.<\/p>\n At the time of writing this article, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil dropped 2.33% to $96.77\/barrel, while the Brent Crude oil also slipped 1.50% to $97.87\/barrel.<\/p>\n Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n Read Next:\u00a0Thinking about ETFs? See what investment risks you should be aware of before you buy.<\/a><\/p>\n Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge’s one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights<\/a> that can set you ahead in today’s competitive market.<\/p>\n Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga:<\/p>\n