Story perspectives

21% Approve Trump's Gas Policy as Prices Reach $4.48

5/23/2026

Left

Trump Gas Fallout

Only 21% of Americans approve President Donald Trump's handling of gas prices, a CNN poll shows.
Gasoline prices are expected to average $4.48 per gallon this Memorial Day weekend, the second-highest level on record.
Prices have risen more than 50% since the Feb. 28 war began.
The war added $43 billion in costs, including $24 billion for gasoline—about $200 per household.

Right

Trump Skips Wedding

President Donald Trump cancelled travel and missed his son Don Jr.’s Bahamas wedding to stay in Washington for Iran crisis.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker urged President Donald Trump on Friday to resume airstrikes against Iran.
The Pentagon postponed leave and withdrew Middle East forces as a precaution against Iranian retaliation.
Senator Tom Cotton said summer’s strikes destroyed nuclear infrastructure but did not end Tehran’s ambitions.

Center

Trump Gas Tax

President Donald Trump proposed suspending the gasoline tax, prompting a bill from Senators Mark Kelly, Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley.
The Trump administration was weighing a new round of military strikes against Iran as diplomatic talks continued in late May 2026.
U.S. gasoline prices averaged $4.55 per gallon in May 2026.
Analysts warned prices could hit $5 per gallon June if Strait of Hormuz stays closed.

Blindspot

Center coverage emphasized President Trump’s suggestion to suspend the federal gasoline tax and the accompanying legislation, which is not mentioned in the Left or Right summaries.
Center coverage also detailed Memorial Day travel projections of 45 million Americans, a fact absent from the Left and Right summaries.

History

Historical Context

1973 OAPEC’s oil embargo after Yom Kippur War forced OPEC to cut exports, sending U.S. gasoline prices soaring and prompting Nixon to sign the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act, raising the federal gasoline tax from 4 to 7 cents—a 75 % hike. The episode shows how supply shocks drive tax changes, a pattern echoed in Trump’s 2026 plan to suspend the gasoline tax amid an Iran conflict.

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Trump Gas Fallout

Only 21% of Americans approve President Donald Trump's handling of gas prices, a CNN poll shows.
Gasoline prices are expected to average $4.48 per gallon this Memorial Day weekend, the second-highest level on record.
Prices have risen more than 50% since the Feb. 28 war began.
The war added $43 billion in costs, including $24 billion for gasoline—about $200 per household.

1 / 5