Nineteen months ago, Donald J. Trump thundered back to the presidency after pledging to voters that he would “make America affordable again” and start “no new wars.”
He told supporters that they could get “very angry” at him if energy prices did not fall under his administration.
But since the president took America to war with Iran, gasoline prices have climbed to their highest levels in four years. Mr. Trump has said he is negotiating a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipping, and the average price of gas has decreased slightly to $4.34 a gallon as of Sunday. But it is still more than a dollar higher than this time last year.
Are his voters angry? More than two-thirds say they approve of his handling of the war and about six in 10 support his handling of the cost of living, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.
But with the November midterm elections five months away, many Americans who backed Mr. Trump in 2024 are wrestling with pain at the pump and contemplating if it should weigh into their decisions in the fall. A fifth of Trump voters say the war is not worth the cost, and a third are unsure, the poll found.
At gas stations in three battleground states featuring marquee Senate races, voters who went with Mr. Trump in 2024 shared in interviews in recent weeks how they felt about the president’s second term, and about a war the president says is necessary to block Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“Last time I filled up I was like, ‘Oh, this hurts.’”
Adele Wilson, 30, of Ada Township, Mich. Ms. Wilson, a dental assistant, said Mr. Trump’s second term had been unsuccessful, and she called the war a “horrible idea.”
She was unsure how she would vote in the midterms, she said, but she had already ruled out voting for JD Vance or Marco Rubio in the 2028 presidential race. She said that she was unimpressed with the potential Democratic presidential candidates, but that she might “vote Democrat until the Republicans get it together.”
“It’s not any worse than it was under Biden.”
Megan Hernandez, 42, of Winthrop, Maine. Ms. Hernandez said the price of gas was forcing her family to eat out less and spend less on “other little things.” But she noted that gas prices had not gone higher than their peak under the administration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (the average reached roughly $5 in June 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine). She said gas costs would not be a major factor in how she voted in the midterms. She believes the war with Iran might be necessary to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon, she said, and she is unsure how she will vote in November.
“It doesn’t give me the greatest feeling about Donald Trump.”
Ryan Hummel, 25, of Cincinnati. Mr. Hummel, a recent college graduate who identifies as a political independent, said gas costs were one of his chief expenses and that he regretted voting for the president and distrusted the White House. But, he added, he was conflicted about the war and was unsure if gas prices would be decisive in how he voted in the future.
“I think it’s temporary and needed.”
Matt Yerkes, 74, of New Richmond, Ohio. Mr. Yerkes, who is retired, said he backed the war and viewed the costs at the pump as “short-term pain” to address a “long-term problem.” He said he disliked the president’s personality, but added, “I agree with essentially everything he does from a policy standpoint.”
“It’s affecting me in a lot of ways.”
Raven Hoskins, 27, of Grand Rapids, Mich. Ms. Hoskins, a package handler who identifies as a political independent, said gas prices were making it harder for her to afford food, and she blamed the president. “A lot of people, especially of my color, think that he’s a really racist man, but I look at him like a businessman,” she said. “Him running us like a business — I’ve seen where it’s gotten us, and it’s not good.” She said she was unsure what she would do in the midterms.
“It’s been rough for the last couple of months.”
Luke Stanley, 28, of Hermon, Maine. Mr. Stanley, who owns a metal fabrication company, said he did not “necessarily” support the war, and suggested he would like the president to change his approach. But he said that business had been good for him overall during the president’s second term. He said gas prices could affect his vote in the midterms, depending on how the next few months go.
“I have a lot of faith.”
Jerry Kirby, 60, of Cincinnati. Mr. Kirby, a retiree who said he had never voted before Mr. Trump arrived on the political scene, described the increase in gas prices as a “bump in the road.” He voiced support for the president’s handling of the war, and said he would vote for Mr. Trump again if he could. “Iran should have been put in their place a long time ago,” he said.
“The first administration was great. I never even looked at gas prices.”
Brandon Toole, 45, of Cincinnati. Mr. Toole, a car dealer who is politically unaffiliated, said he “used to be” a supporter of Mr. Trump, but was dismayed by the war and the “terrible” gas prices. “His policies changed after he got into office this last time,” Mr. Toole said. Still, he said that he had little interest in voting in the midterms and that Democrats did not appeal to him.
- Credits: The New York Times
- Authors: Tim BalkRachel Richardson and Sam Easter
- Photo: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
