Most Americans Blame Trump for Rising Gas Prices, Poll Shows

Americans overwhelmingly blame President Donald Trump for soaring gasoline prices, a Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals. The survey found that 77% of registered voters believe Trump bears at least some responsibility for the recent rise in gas prices, which was sparked by his decision to launch a war on Iran with US ally Israel.

The view is shared across the political spectrum, with 55% of Republican voters, 82% of independents, and 95% of Democrats pinning blame on the president. Some 58% of voters, including one in five Republicans and two-thirds of independents, said they would be less likely to support candidates in the November midterms who back Trump’s approach to the conflict with Iran.

The US and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran in February that killed the country’s leader and thousands of Iranians. Tehran responded by attacking US allies in the region, damaging oil export facilities and shutting down roughly a fifth of global oil trade. US gasoline prices have risen to about $4 a gallon, a dollar more than before the war started.

The war is weighing on Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, when Trump’s party faces an uphill battle to keep its majority in the House of Representatives. Risks are also rising that they could lose control of the Senate.

Sarah Chamberlain, strategist and president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, said: “Right now, it’s bad. People are upset.” She added that Republicans are concerned about maintaining their House majority but believe they have a good chance if gas prices drop by summertime or at least not to pre-war levels.

The poll showed 77% of Americans see fuel prices as a very big concern and respondents were more than twice as likely to expect an increase in fuel prices over the next year than they were to expect a decrease. Trump won the presidential election after pledging to fix high inflation rates that plagued his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

However, 70% of respondents disagreed with the statement that the economy was booming and 82% said inflation was a big concern. Republican strategists say candidates must be careful about discussing the war with Iran while highlighting the administration’s efforts to cut taxes.

The poll also showed significant erosion in the Republican Party’s longstanding advantage on the economy, with only a one-point advantage for Republicans compared to a 14-point advantage immediately after Trump took office. The survey gathered responses from 4,557 US adults nationwide and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.