July 4th: Trump’s Oil Comeback Brings Cheapest Independence Day Gas in Years; But a Storm Brews…
By Ross Trumble
As Americans hit the road for Independence Day, they’re enjoying something they haven’t seen in four years: relief at the pump.
Thanks to the energy policy overhaul under President Trump’s second term — led by newly appointed Energy Secretary Chris Wright — gas prices across the country have dropped to their lowest levels since 2021. National averages are hovering near $3.50 per gallon, with some regions dipping even lower. This is a marked contrast from the Biden-era highs that left working Americans drained and angry.
On this Fourth of July (2025), “Drill, Baby, Drill” isn’t just a meaningless election year slogan. It’s working and families are actually saving money. After 4 years of very painful inflation that hit gas pumps first and possibly hardest, Americans are seeing real relief that looks very much like it will be sustained.
Unless you were preoccupied by the burgeoning religion of Green Energy, it’s quite likely you watched in horror in 2021 as the Biden administration began to shut down pipelines and domestic drilling which immediately caused prices at the pump to skyrocket, eventually to all time highs by 2022.
The four year lows in price-at-the-pump feels a little like waking up from a nightmare and trying to determine if it was real or not.
Chris Wright’s Fast Start
Wright, a seasoned pro in the energy world, wasted no time in unleashing American production. Since taking office, he’s rolled back stifling regulations, greenlit drilling permits in key regions like the Permian Basin and Alaska, and accelerated the pace of federal land leasing. He’s done this all while cutting bureaucratic red tape that strangled the industry for years. These are feats that past administrations would have sworn were impossible and demanded that Americans just accept another “new normal.”
Wright’s results speak volumes, but they’re absolutely essential in a time of economic and geo-political turmoil: Domestic oil production is surging, inventories are climbing, and the market is stabilizing. Investors are returning and most refineries are operating with more confidence.
Energy is the backbone of every economy and the Trump administration, with Secretary Wright calling the shots for oil, gas and even coal is hellbent on making sure America is no longer vulnerable to the whims of OPEC, foreign adversaries, or the series speculative green tech gambles that have left America’s powergrid vulnerable.
America’s Energy Resurgence Is Real
Unlike the artificial, temporary drops we saw in 2020 during pandemic lockdowns, this price drop is tied to real production increases. Trump’s team isn’t manipulating numbers — they’re empowering producers.
U.S. oil output is on track to exceed 13 million barrels per day by the end of the year. Strategic Petroleum Reserve levels, depleted under Biden, are stabilizing after being drained to political lows. Refineries, especially in Gulf Coast states, are operating with fewer constraints and more flexibility. This is what a functioning energy policy looks like.
And Americans are noticing. AAA reports record road trip plans for this July 4th weekend — not just because it’s summer, but because gas is affordable again. People are driving more, spending more, and feeling more confident in the economy — all thanks to fossil fuels.
The projections coming out now are that the U.S. will see record travel for a 4th of July weekend. Time will tell, but optimism is washing across the travel and hospitality industry that was once decimated not only by the COVID lockdown hysteria, but then by out-of-touch policy under Biden affecting costs across the board. In short, the squeeze that was felt is beginning to loosen, but we’re not out of trouble yet.
And out West, California’s hostile attitude toward fossil fuels threatens to crush an economic recovery in multiple states.
Trouble Is Brewing in the West
California is moving forward with the shutdown of two of its major oil refineries in 2026, including one targeted with over $80 million in regulatory fines. These refineries don’t just serve California — they supply fuel to much of Arizona, Nevada, and parts of Oregon and Utah.
And while the rest of the country enjoys relief, the West could be facing a perfect storm: reduced refining capacity, stubborn regulatory hostility, and a political class unwilling to admit that fossil fuels are still necessary.
Industry analysts now warn that California gas prices could spike to $8 or more per gallon by summer 2026, with Arizona and Nevada not far behind.
California’s Energy Fantasy Meets Reality
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about natural disasters, wars, or global instability. This is entirely self-inflicted. California’s aggressive push toward electric vehicles and “net zero” emissions has led them to strangle their own fuel infrastructure without any viable replacement.
EV adoption is still slow, grid reliability remains fragile, and the cost of living is already unsustainable. Meanwhile, demand for gasoline remains constant but soon, supply will not.
Neighboring states like Arizona are stuck in this wake. Under Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona has mirrored California’s policies without building out refining capacity or developing alternative plans. This is why Arizona now ranks among the most expensive states for gas, despite having lower fuel taxes than Texas.
Nevada, largely federal land, faces a different hurdle: bureaucratic red tape. Even under a friendly Trump administration, getting a new refinery off the ground in that state would take years. New Mexico has potential but lacks political will.
Four G Media Contributor Ross Trumble
Can the Southwest Step Up?
The only way to prevent a regional meltdown is to expand refining capacity somewhere in the Southwest — fast.
Arizona could be a prime candidate, but only with a leadership change in 2026. A pro-energy governor could greenlight refinery projects, attract private investment, and decouple Arizona’s energy future from California’s decline.
Pipelines from Texas or the Gulf Coast might help in the longer term, but time is short. The infrastructure timeline is long. And if no action is taken, millions of residents in the West could be facing periodic fuel shortages, outrageous prices, and economic pain — even as the rest of the country thrives.
Mexico Is Not the Answer
Some have proposed turning to Mexico for refined fuel. That’s a dangerous gamble. With cartel control over major logistics corridors and a government unable to secure much of its own territory, relying on Mexico’s refinery network would be a national security risk — not a viable energy solution.
Conclusion: The American Energy Comeback Needs Regional Allies
President Trump and Secretary Wright have made it clear: the U.S. is back in the energy game, and the proof is in the prices. For the first time in years, Americans are seeing gas prices drop for the right reasons — production, not political tricks.
But while the nation celebrates, the West is on a collision course with its own regulatory fantasies.
If Arizona, Nevada, and California don’t act — and fast — they’ll be watching the rest of America drive by while they sit in gas lines, paying twice as much for fuel.
The energy dominance utopia of 2025 could just as easily give way to a regional crisis because of self-destructive policies by the country’s largest state economically, California.
This issue is not to be ignored by Trump, Secretary Wright and politicians out west. That is, unless $7-$8 gas and supply issues in July of 2026 are their goal.