Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) jumped on X this week with a message that sounded made for TV.
Southern Nevadans are paying over $5 a gallon, she said, because of “Trump’s war.”
Southern Nevadans are now paying over $5/gallon for gas because of Trump’s war.
We need to lower costs for hardworking families. Instead, Republicans in Washington are spending $1 billion/day on a war that is making it more expensive for you to fill your gas tank. pic.twitter.com/pEaAM12HZz
— Congresswoman Susie Lee (@RepSusieLee) March 24, 2026
Nice and tidy. Easy villain. Case closed.
Except it’s not true. Not fully. Not even close.
And leaving out the real reason? That’s not just sloppy. That’s intentionally misleading the public.
The Half-Truth Game
Yes, gas prices are high. Brutally high.
Nevada’s average is about $4.86. Las Vegas is pushing $4.90. Some stations are topping $5.
No argument there.
And yes, global conflict has pushed prices up nationwide. The average has climbed from around $3 before the conflict to nearly $4 today.
So sure, the war plays a role. But here’s where Lee’s argument starts to fall apart.
She’s selling a national story to explain a very local problem. Here’s the part she conveniently leaves out.
Southern Nevada doesn’t get its gas from a mix of sources. It gets it from California. Almost all of it.
Roughly 88 to 90 percent of our fuel flows in from California refineries through the Calnev Pipeline.
And Nevada?
We don’t refine our own gasoline. Not a drop. So whatever happens in California hits us straight in the wallet. No backup. No flexibility. No escape.
And California fuel isn’t just expensive. It’s some of the most expensive in the country.
Heavy regulations. Sky-high production costs. And refinery shutdowns that keep tightening supply.
The US Oil & Gas Association didn’t mince words:
“Roughly 88% of Nevada’s transportation fuels… comes from California refineries… Nevada has virtually ZERO gasoline refining capacity of its own… this dependency will mean higher prices & tighter supply ahead.”
That’s not partisan spin. That’s a warning. One Lee chose to ignore.
Blame Trump or Tell the Truth?
Here’s the reality: The war didn’t create Nevada’s gas problem. It exposed it.
We were already paying more than most of the country long before any conflict started.
Why? Because we tied ourselves to one of the most expensive energy markets in America.
The war pushed prices up everywhere. No question. But pretending it’s the main reason Nevadans are getting hammered at the pump?
That’s not just incomplete. It’s a distraction. A way to shift blame away from policies and decisions that made Nevada this vulnerable in the first place.
This is the playbook.
- Take a real problem.
- Attach it to a convenient political enemy.
- Leave out the inconvenient facts.
- And hope nobody looks deeper. Because once you do, the story changes fast.
If your state depends almost entirely on one high-cost supplier, you’re going to pay more. Period. That’s not ideology. That’s common sense.
But common sense doesn’t fit neatly into a tweet.
Why This Hits Nevada Harder
This isn’t some abstract policy debate. It’s hitting families right now.
Every fill-up costs more. Every grocery bill creeps higher. Every delivery fee gets passed along.
And in Southern Nevada, where you have to drive just to live your life, there’s no way around it.
We’re not just dealing with global pressure. We’re dealing with years of decisions that left us exposed and dependent.
Yes, gas prices are high. Yes, global conflict matters.
But telling Nevadans this is all because of “Trump’s war” while ignoring California’s grip on our fuel supply?
That’s not leadership. That’s spin. And Nevadans are the ones paying for it.
So here’s the real question: Why isn’t Susie Lee talking about the part of the problem she can’t blame on someone else?
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