Trump struggles to sell the Iran war as Americans feel the squeeze at the pump

What a difference a few years make when it comes to gas prices and partisanship in Washington.

In 2022, during the Biden administration, Democrats rallied around Ukraine when average gasoline prices exceeded $5 per gallon after the Russian invasion. They said defending democracy was important, even if it meant more pain at the pump.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat, said $7-per-gallon gas in California was the price of solidarity with Ukraine.

“I, for one, am going to pay that price,” Mr. Ruiz said at the time.

Back then, Republicans pilloried Mr. Biden over soaring prices. Now, they find themselves in a similar pickle as President Trump works to build popular support for the Iran war. Meanwhile, Democrats complain that the war is raising gas prices.

The AAA motor club said the average price of a gallon of gas Wednesday stood at $3.98, up $1 from one month ago.

Gas prices reached a record high of $5.02 per gallon as the national average after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine during President Biden’s term.

Some Republicans have justified higher prices this month as an unfortunate byproduct of defeating the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism, but they hope prices will ebb before November’s midterm elections.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday that the administration would allow year-round sales of high-ethanol gasoline, temporarily waiving summer pollution restrictions to relieve concerns about rising gas prices.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, called higher prices “a temporary blip.” Rep. Lisa McClain, Michigan Republican, said it was a “snapshot in time.”

“Once these combat operations are over, this administration is going to continue to unleash American energy dominance,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “We’re going to see prices at the pump go back down just as we have over the last year because of this president.”

That message is proving to be a difficult sell, especially after Mr. Trump campaigned in 2024 on lowering costs and ending foreign wars.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 59% of Americans think U.S. military action in Iran has been excessive.

The poll said 45% of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their ability to afford gas in the next few months, up from 30% in a similar poll after Mr. Trump won a second term.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week found that 35% of Americans approve of U.S. strikes on Iran, down from 37% last week. Only one-quarter of Americans approve of Mr. Trump’s handling of the cost of living.

Together, those factors drove down Mr. Trump’s approval rating to 36%, the lowest in this survey of his second term.

The situation is heaping pressure on Mr. Trump to wind down the conflict, or at least offer a clearer narrative of what it is supposed to accomplish.

“He and his top officials have been all over the map in justifying the war and explaining his overall strategy,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in governance studies at the left-leaning Brookings Institution. “The war divides his base since many of his voters supported him when he campaigned on ending wars and reducing the U.S. role around the world. They have difficulty reconciling the Campaign Trump with the President Trump.”

Americans by and large supported sending supplies and weapons to Ukraine, and U.S. troops were not drawn into the conflict directly. Mr. Biden could point to an outside force as the cause of higher prices.

“Democrats didn’t cause this problem. Vladimir Putin did. Putin’s gas tax has pushed prices higher,” Mr. Biden said at the time.

The rate of inflation has fallen to 2.4% during Mr. Trump’s second term after peaking at 9.1% under Mr. Biden. However, new concerns about gas prices add to lingering affordability worries in a midterm year.

“Everyone sees gas prices on street corners, so it is hard to hide the rising cost of filling up cars and trucks. That was a challenge for Biden, and now it is difficult for Trump,” Mr. West said.

Mr. Trump joined forces with Israel to begin bombarding Iran on Feb. 28, hoping to dismantle its missile program and nuclear ambitions while diminishing its support for terrorist proxies in the Middle East.

The president had warned Iran for months about a possible attack and built up U.S. military assets in the region. Still, Americans woke to news of the strikes on a Saturday morning with little direct warning.

“President Trump’s communication style surrounding the Iran war has been very surprising. He gave short addresses from Mar-a-Lago and has answered questions from reporters in person and over the phone,” said Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan. “As the war enters its second month, most would have expected a formal address from the White House or even a joint address to Congress. Even during President Trump’s State of the Union address, only a very few minutes were devoted to the topic of Iran despite impending military action.”

A CBS News-YouGov poll this week found that two-thirds of Americans think the Iran conflict is a “war of choice.” Close to one-third think it is a war of necessity.

Only 32% of respondents said the Trump administration had clearly explained U.S. goals in Iran, while 68% said it had not.

Mr. Trump says his objectives are clear: keeping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and decimating its navy, missile program and ability to support terrorist proxies in the Middle East.

The White House defended its sales pitch to the American public on the war by pointing to robust support among Republicans in the MAGA base for the president’s actions.

“President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation is accomplishing,” said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales. “President Trump also campaigned proudly on his energy dominance agenda — and the president has been clear that these are short-term disruptions and that Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly again once the necessary objectives of Operation Epic Fury have been achieved. The president does not make these incredibly important national security decisions based on fluid opinion polls, but on the best interest of the American people.”

The economic pain is showing signs of easing as Mr. Trump and Iran open a tentative diplomatic channel to end the war.

Stocks jumped Wednesday after reports that the U.S. sent a multipoint peace plan to Iran. Pakistani officials offered to mediate talks, though Iranian state media reported that Iran “does not accept a ceasefire.”

Iran did say it would allow safe passage of “nonhostile” ships through the Strait of Hormuz, driving down oil prices.

Lower oil prices should, in turn, result in less pain at the gas pump in the coming days or weeks.

The Trump administration also outlined efforts to backfill fertilizer stocks that have been caught in the Strait of Hormuz, which borders Iran.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said 80% of farmers had bought fertilizer before the war began to ensure they were ready for the spring planting season.

“There shouldn’t be much disruption,” she told Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria.” “For the 20% that have yet to buy fertilizer, we’re seeing some of the stories, how expensive it got. The president has opened up lines from Venezuela.”

She pointed to Mr. Trump’s 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a long-standing shipping law, to ease economic concerns about the Iran war.

The 1920 law requires that products be transported between U.S. ports by American vessels, though it has been criticized as a costly obstacle to trade.

The president’s waiver is intended to increase the number of oil tankers that can move oil among U.S. ports.

• Mary McCue Bell contributed to this report.