Trump Advisers Panic Over GOP's Midterm Prospects as Iran War Drives Up Fuel Prices

Donald Trump’s gamble on a war with Iran is backfiring spectacularly — and his closest advisers are now openly worried that Republicans will pay the price at the ballot box in 2026. According to a Wall Street Journal report by Brian Schwartz and Alison Sider, GOP insiders are growing increasingly anxious as soaring fuel prices driven by the conflict squeeze consumers and threaten the party’s political future.

Polls were already grim for Trump before the February escalation in the Middle East. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos survey in early May showed his overall approval at just 37 percent, with dismal ratings on inflation (27 percent), cost of living (23 percent), and the economy (34 percent). The war has only made things worse, pushing jet-fuel prices to roughly double within weeks, a spike that airlines warn will add billions in costs this year.

Former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a Republican and head of Airlines for America, recently flagged the problem to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, highlighting "high jet-fuel prices" as a looming political liability. The U.S.-Israeli attack in late February disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane, triggering sharp increases in oil, gasoline, and jet-fuel prices just as Americans face the summer travel season.

Airlines have responded by hiking ticket prices — the cost of a U.S. domestic round-trip economy ticket rose 21 percent year-over-year in March, hitting an average of $570. Carriers are also cutting unprofitable flights, passing the pain directly to consumers already squeezed by inflation.

The political fallout is clear. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found that 63 percent of Americans hold Trump at least partially responsible for higher gas prices. Privately, Trump’s advisers are desperate to end the conflict quickly, hoping to stabilize prices before the midterms. But with voters already feeling the pinch, the damage to the GOP brand may be irreversible.

This crisis underscores a broader pattern of reckless decision-making by the Trump administration, where personal and political gambits have real consequences for everyday Americans. The Iran war, fuel price surge, and economic strain are not isolated incidents — they are part of a consistent failure to govern responsibly.

As the midterms loom, Republicans face an uphill battle to convince voters they can manage the economy and national security better than the chaos Trump has unleashed. The question now is whether the party can distance itself from his costly mistakes or if it will be dragged down by the fallout. Either way, Trump’s war and its economic wreckage are shaping up to be a defining issue for the next election cycle.