US Politics
Americans lash out at Trump as gas prices rise over Iran war: ‘It’s why I ride a bike’
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Six days on from the launch of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran, President Donald Trump is already facing anger from American consumers confronted by higher gas prices at the pump.
Voters who chose Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential campaign because he promised to bring the cost of living down and not involve the U.S. in more foreign wars are now seeing a very different situation unfold.
“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor – it was quite honestly a disaster – is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states,” the president claimed in his State of the Union address just last month.
“And in some places, $1.99 a gallon. And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.”
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But with the bombardment of Iran inspiring retaliatory strikes across the region and disrupting global oil supplies, the average gas price in the U.S. has risen from $2.975 on February 24 – the day of Trump’s speech – to $3.198 on March 4, according to the latest data from the American Automobile Association.
The fuel data site GasBuddy predicted on X (Twitter) Monday that gas prices would rise 10 cents to 30 cents a gallon “over the next two weeks.”
“Heads up, drivers: You may see gas prices increase soon,” it said. “Ongoing geopolitical events are contributing to higher oil prices, which are a major factor in what you pay at the pump.”
Drivers say they are already seeing higher prices at gas stations when they go to fill up.
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New Jersey bartender Kelly Sharp spoke to USA Today and pinned the blame squarely on the president: “He promised to bring prices down, but he never did.
“They’re going up. I’m mad at him and a lot of the things he’s doing… It’s a shame, those young kids being killed.”
Colorado Uber driver Mario Pinzon also saw a clear correlation between the new conflict and prices at the pump: “Until a month ago, gasoline was affordable for everyone. But because of what’s happening in the Middle East, gasoline prices have had to go up.”
At the same gas station, biker Benny Acosta explained that he rides a CFMoto 300 motorcycle as a cost-saving initiative: “I got me a full tank for $6. This is why I ride the bike.”
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Trump acknowledged at an Oval Office meeting Tuesday that prices would be higher “for a little while” but ultimately end up being “lower than before” when the conflict concludes.
Public anger over the rising cost of refuelling could present Trump with a major political headache, especially with midterm elections on the horizon later this year.
Susan Bell, senior vice president at Rystad Energy, told USA Today that there is a particular price-point at which drivers typically begin to get anxious.
“Consumers really start to get concerned when the pump price goes above about $3.50 a gallon,” she said. “We’re not quite there yet, but we could get close in the next couple of weeks.”
Democrats have wasted no time in drawing attention to the problem, characterizing it as another broken promise from the president arising out of the conflict, alongside his pledge to drag the country into no further “forever wars” in the Middle East.
“Gas prices are going up,” Colorado Rep. Jason Crow posted on X, alongside a graph charting the alarming spike. “Trump’s war in Iran is making your life more expensive.”
“Week one and Trump’s war is hitting pocket books,” warned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, with similar warnings also issued by the likes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Warner, who represent Arizona and Virginia respectively.
