California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office has mocked US Vice President JD Vance after he blamed surging petrol prices on the actions of foreign dictators, turning his words into a joke about President Donald Trump.
Vance made the remarks at a Republican campaign rally in Belgrade, Montana, on 26 October, ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November. His comments came amid sharp increases in American fuel costs linked in part to the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
What Vance actually said
Addressing voters concerned about the cost of living, Vance acknowledged petrol prices were too high. He cited the increase following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and referred to earlier periods of energy-price volatility.
“They skyrocket every time some tin pot dictator decides to throw a tantrum.”
He then argued that expanding US refining capacity, domestic energy production and drilling was a better response than the renewable-energy policies he attributed to Democrats. The full transcript makes clear that Vance was referring to foreign leaders and defending the Trump administration, not accusing Trump of being a dictator.
Newsom’s press office fires back
The official Governor Newsom Press Office account responded on X on 26 October with a brief, sarcastic message:
“Can’t believe he’d talk about Trump like that.”
The remark was made by Newsom’s press office account rather than in a personal statement from the governor. Its implication was political criticism of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict. It should not be mistaken for Vance deliberately making that comparison.
What the petrol price figures show
According to the US Energy Information Administration, regular petrol averaged $4.269 per US gallon in the week of 26 October 2026, compared with $3.035 in the comparable week of 27 October 2025. That is an increase of about $1.23 a gallon, or 41%.
Vance was correct that prices rose higher during 2022: the EIA recorded a weekly national average above $5 a gallon in June that year. But that comparison does not account for the sharp rise over the past year.
The Iran war has affected global energy markets and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for oil exports. Reuters reported in October that disruption and attacks around the strait were keeping pressure on oil prices. Prices also respond to refining capacity, production, demand and other market conditions, so not every increase can be attributed to a single cause.
Watch Vance’s remarks
The YouTube report below, published by MS NOW, includes footage of Vance’s petrol-price remarks and a studio discussion of the political reaction. The full original remarks can still be checked against the linked Factba.se transcript.
Sources
- Roll Call Factba.se, Vance rally transcript, 26 October 2026
- MS NOW, Vance remarks and studio reaction (YouTube)
- US Energy Information Administration, weekly petrol prices
- HuffPost reporting, including Newsom press office post, 27 October 2026
- Reuters, Iran conflict and oil shipping, 14 October 2026
