Trump’s Iran War Gamble Backfires as Approval Plummets and Gas Prices Soar

Donald Trump’s second term is careening toward chaos, dragged down by a war with Iran that has shattered key campaign promises and battered his political standing. The conflict, now two months old, has driven oil prices to four-year highs and left Americans paying more at the pump—directly contradicting Trump’s vow to curb inflation and avoid foreign military entanglements.

Despite attempts to project confidence—like hosting the Artemis II astronauts in the Oval Office—Trump’s swagger rings hollow. His approval rating sits at a dismal 41 percent nationally, with 57 percent disapproving, according to RealClearPolitics averages. Political analysts warn this could cost Republicans control of the House and possibly the Senate in the midterms, as voters grow frustrated and skeptical.

The White House remains cagey about its objectives in Iran, with Trump yet to articulate what victory looks like or how the conflict will end. Republicans close to the administration admit the president’s handling of the crisis has been “impetuous and feeble,” undermining his image as a bold leader reshaping global geopolitics.

Compounding the turmoil, Trump has fired his third cabinet member and the Navy secretary, fueling fears of disarray. His recent attacks on Pope Leo XIV and self-casting as a religious figure suggest a leader increasingly unmoored.

Energy experts point to the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as key drivers of the energy price spike. Trump insists prices will “drop like a rock” once the war ends, but with no clear off-ramp in sight, Americans are left footing the bill.

A former Trump official lamented, “Now they just want to know, what’s the off-ramp?” Meanwhile, Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom expansion plan, touted even after an assassination attempt against him, draws little public support—highlighting a growing disconnect between the president and everyday Americans.

As the war drags on, Trump’s promises of prosperity and peace ring increasingly hollow, raising urgent questions about the cost of his foreign policy gambles and the future of his administration.