On Thursday, as the United States commemorated the centennial of the iconic Route 66—a famous highway symbolizing carefree road trips—motorists in California faced gasoline prices of $6 per gallon. This marks the highest price in two years and is emerging as a significant political issue with elections approaching. According to data from GasBuddy, the average gasoline price in California reached $6.01 per gallon on Thursday, not only the highest in the nation but also the peak price paid by the state's drivers since October 2023. Concurrently, the national average price climbed to $4.34 per gallon, setting a new high since July 2022. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from April indicated that three-quarters of Americans hold the Trump administration responsible for the recent surge in gasoline prices, with a majority anticipating further deterioration in fuel costs over the next year.