Gas prices are displayed at a Mobil gas station on March 30, 2026 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that most Americans hold President Donald Trump responsible for rising gasoline prices, a concern that is putting pressure on his Republican Party ahead of the November congressional midterm elections.
What voters think of gas prices
By the numbers:
About 77% of registered voters surveyed—according to a poll completed earlier this week—said Trump bears at least some responsibility for the recent spike in gas prices, which followed his decision to enter a conflict with Iran alongside U.S. ally Israel.
That sentiment cuts across party lines, with 55% of Republicans, 82% of independents, and 95% of Democrats attributing the higher fuel costs to the president.
RELATED: Iran latest: Standoff intensifies after Trump's 'shoot and kill' order
Roughly 58% of voters said they would be less inclined to back candidates in the November 3 midterms if those candidates support Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, including about one in five Republicans and two-thirds of independents.
Dig deeper:
The United States and Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran in February that killed the country’s leader and thousands of people. Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. allies in the region, damaging key oil export facilities and disrupting about one-fifth of global oil trade. As a result, U.S. gasoline prices have climbed to $4 per gallon, roughly a dollar higher than before the conflict began.
RELATED: Ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon extended by 3 weeks, Trump says
The ongoing war is straining household budgets and adding pressure on Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump’s party is already seen as facing a difficult fight to hold onto its majority in the House of Representatives. There is also growing concern that they could lose control of the Senate.
‘People are upset’
What they're saying:
"Right now, it’s bad. People are upset," said Sarah Chamberlain, a strategist and president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which advocates for conservative lawmakers.
"Republicans are obviously very concerned about maintaining the House, but if we can get through the Iran situation by summertime and gas prices drop back down, or at least go down maybe not to quite the level they were prior to the war, then I think we have a really good shot."
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that about 77% of Americans view fuel prices as a major concern, with respondents more than twice as likely to expect prices to rise over the next year than to fall.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election after promising to tackle the high inflation that troubled his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. He has repeatedly said the U.S. economy is "booming," including during remarks in Las Vegas on April 16. The White House website also declares to visitors: "WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN AGE!"
This browser does not support the Video element.
Gas price spike hits consumers as Iran war continues
LiveNOW’s Mike Pache is speaking with economic strategist, Dan Varroney as average gas prices nationwide are up more than $1 per gallon since the war in Iran began at the end of February.
People are worried about inflation
By the numbers:
However, 70% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they disagreed that the economy is booming, while 82% identified inflation as a major concern.
What they're saying:
"Trump has made affordability and bringing down prices a cornerstone of the Make America Great Again movement, and with costs going up in the country, that is a hard circle to square, messaging wise," said Erin Maguire, a Republican strategist.
Maguire said Republican candidates need to tread carefully in how they discuss the war with Iran, while also emphasizing the administration’s efforts to cut taxes.
Big picture view:
The Reuters/Ipsos poll also pointed to a notable decline in the Republican Party’s long-held edge on economic issues. The survey, conducted April 15–20, found that 38% of U.S. voters favor the Republican approach to the economy, compared with 37% who prefer the Democrats’ approach. That narrow one-point lead marks a sharp drop from the 14-point advantage Republicans held just after Trump began his second term in January 2025.
The poll included responses from 4,557 adults across the United States, among them 3,577 registered voters, and carried a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
The Source: Reuters contributed to this report. The information in this story is primarily based on a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll. This story was reported from Los Angeles.