Trump Voters Blame War and Administration for Rising Gas Prices, Poll Finds

A Politico poll released on a Wednesday asked 2,061 adults who voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election how gas prices would have differed under a Democratic administration. Forty-two percent said prices would have risen less if former Vice President Kamala Harris had won, while 35 percent believed the increase would have been the same under a Democrat and 34 percent thought prices would have risen more under a Trump administration. When asked why prices have risen, 63 percent cited the Iran war, 40 percent pointed to Trump’s tariffs, and 38 percent blamed “poor handling of the economy.” Other cited factors included supply-chain disruptions (23 percent) and limited domestic oil production (21 percent).

Newsweek

The conflict began on February 28 and paused for a brief cease-fire around April 7-8 before hostilities resumed in early July. U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran have repeatedly disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that moves a large share of global oil and about 20 percent of LNG trade. These disruptions have been identified by the poll respondents as a primary driver of higher pump prices.

Newsweek

Separate surveys show broader economic dissatisfaction. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll found only 33 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, the lowest level recorded by that pollster. Confidence that negotiations to end the war will lower gas prices sits at 39 percent, with 59 percent lacking confidence. A CBS News/YouGov poll reported that 23 percent view gas prices as a “financial hardship,” while 30 percent describe them as “difficult” and 29 percent as an “inconvenience.”

Newsweek

Nationwide, the American Automobile Association recorded an average price of $4.060 per gallon on Wednesday, up from $4.019 the day before and $3.890 a week earlier—a 29 percent rise from one year ago. California posted the highest average at $5.545 per gallon, whereas Mississippi recorded the lowest at $3.622. Gas-price analyst Patrick De Haan warned that crude-oil benchmarks are climbing, projecting the national average could reach $4.15-$4.25 per gallon in the coming weeks.

Newsweek

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers asserted that U.S. military actions are aimed at restoring “American energy dominance” and that “as the U.S. military degrades the terrorist Iranian regime’s ability to attack commercial vessels and disrupt the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices will plummet back to pre-conflict levels.” “As the U.S. military degrades the terrorist Iranian regime’s ability to attack commercial vessels and disrupt the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices will plummet back to pre-conflict levels,” — Taylor Rogers, white house spokesperson

Newsweek

• “As the U.S. military degrades the terrorist Iranian regime’s ability to attack commercial vessels and disrupt the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices will plummet back to pre-conflict levels,” — Taylor Rogers, white house spokesperson

Newsweek