According to a poll conducted by Ipsos and reported by Reuters, most Americans blame the US President Donald Trump for the recent rise in gasoline prices, creating new political headwinds for Republicans in the run-up to the November midterm elections.
The poll was conducted between April 15 and 20 among 4,557 US adults, including 3,577 registered voters, and carries a margin of error of two percentage points.
According to the survey, 77% of registered voters believe Trump bears at least some responsibility for rising fuel costs, which have climbed following the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
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The perception cuts across party lines, with 55% of Republicans, 82% of independents and 95% of Democrats attributing blame to the president.
The spike in prices comes after the US, alongside Israel, launched attacks on Iran earlier this year, triggering retaliatory strikes that disrupted global oil supplies.
The conflict has impacted roughly a fifth of global oil trade, pushing US gasoline prices to around $4 per gallon — about a dollar higher than pre-conflict levels.
The political fallout appears significant. About 58% of respondents said they would be less likely to back candidates who support Trump's handling of the Iran conflict in the Nov. 3 midterms.
“Right now, it's bad. People are upset,” said Sarah Chamberlain, president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, reflecting growing concern within Republican ranks.
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Fuel prices remain a major worry, with 77% of Americans calling them a “very big concern,” while 82% expressed anxiety over inflation. Notably, 70% of respondents disagreed with Trump's claim that the US economy is “booming.”
The poll also points to a sharp erosion in the Republican Party's advantage on economic issues.
While 38% of voters now favour the Republican approach to the economy, 37% prefer Democrats — a significant drop from a 14-point lead Republicans held at the start of Trump's second term in January 2025.
“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,” Republican strategist Erin Maguire said.
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