California Gov. Gavin Newsom caught the White House with its pants down.
The administration had just taken a victory lap on social media, amplifying a Breitbart article claiming “80 consumer prices fell in March” alongside an image of President Donald Trump with a triumphant message urging Americans to “TRUST IN TRUMP.”
The post leaned on a long list of price dips across dozens of categories to argue that costs are easing.
But that’s not what’s driving the cost of living right now.
“The White House is celebrating because prices for ‘men’s underwear and accessories’ are down 1/5th of 1%,” Newsom’s press office posted to X.
“Sir, we just want lower gas prices. But big congrats on your underwear accessories?”
Gas prices surged more than 20 percent in March, powering the biggest monthly inflation jump in nearly two years.
The spike followed the escalation of a conflict with Iran that has shaken global energy markets and pushed prices sharply higher at the pump.
That surge did most of the damage, driven by a war set in motion by Trump that disrupted oil supplies and sent energy costs soaring. The president, however, blamed Iran for increased gas prices.
Overall consumer prices jumped 0.9 percent in March, pushing annual inflation to 3.3 percent, according to data reported by CNBC. Nearly three-quarters of that increase came from energy alone.
There were pockets of relief elsewhere. Groceries dipped slightly, used car prices edged down, and some household and medical goods got marginally cheaper.
But those gains are easy to miss when the most visible cost in the economy is moving in the opposite direction.
So when the U.S. Department of Energy urged California to “end its war on American energy” in a post on X, Newsom’s office fired back.
“Instead of looking for a scapegoat, how about the Secretary spend more time getting Trump to end his war with Iran that’s caused prices at the pump to skyrocket across the country,” the post read.
Vice President JD Vance was dispatched to Pakistan this weekend to do just that. But, even if successful, the war’s impact at the pump won’t unwind overnight.
