From Biden’s ‘war’ on energy to ‘small price’: Trump shrugs off gas surge amid Iran conflict

Republicans sharply criticized former President Joe Biden for rising prices at the pump, but a surge in energy prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran threatens to muddle the party’s message on affordability.

The Iranian conflict has led to rising gas prices for Americans, leading to an average increase of 50 cents per gallon since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.

The average price of gasoline reached $3.63 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA. Diesel prices also increased to $4.89 per gallon. The increases were mainly fueled by volatile oil prices, which closed above $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since 2022, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively isolated from the conflict.

The president called the rise in gas prices, in the context of the Iranian conflict, “a very small price to pay” in Truth Social newspaper. job Sunday.

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The statement represented a stark departure from Trump’s typical messaging touting low gas prices before Operation Epic Fury.

“Gasoline, which peaked over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor – it was honestly a disaster – is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon,” President Donald Trump said during his State of the Union address on February 27. “And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gas.”

Soaring gasoline and diesel prices threaten to undermine the economic message of President Trump and congressional Republicans, who have touted low gasoline prices as a major victory heading into the November midterm elections. Cost of living issues are expected to be a top concern among voters, as both parties say they are focused on making everyday life more affordable.

Trump on Wednesday ordered the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release 172 million gallons of crude oil in an effort to lower oil prices.

“I filled it once, and I’ll fill it again, but for now we’re going to reduce it a little bit, and that will bring the prices down,” Trump told Cincinnati news station WKRC.

President Donald Trump participates in the Americas Shield Summit on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump frequently campaigned on ending Biden’s “war on American energy” and pledged to reverse the surge in gas prices that occurred during his predecessor’s tenure.

Gas prices averaged $3.45 per gallon across all grades during Biden’s four-year term, reaching a record high of more than $5 per gallon in June 2022 after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“From day one, we will lower prices and make America affordable again,” Trump said during a speech at the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024. “People can’t live like this.”

Democrats have taken advantage of rising prices at the pump in the context of the conflict in Iran.

“I wish the administration would have thought about this before starting this unnecessary war,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who talks with Democrats, said Monday when asked about rising gas prices.

“Donald Trump’s war has caused gas prices to skyrocket,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on social networks Monday. “What contempt. What ignorance.”

President Donald Trump said rising gas prices would be “a very small price to pay” under Operation Epic Fury. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Republicans expressed confidence that the rise in gas prices would be temporary. Republican lawmakers have frequently cited their efforts to roll back Biden-era energy regulations and boost domestic production as evidence that their policies are helping to lower energy prices.

“It’s probably going to be unstable for a while. I think the key will be ensuring that we can have safe access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Sen. Steve Daines, Republican of Mount, said Monday, adding that he was confident the disruption would be short-lived.

Daines, who abruptly suspended his re-election campaign last week, pointed out that average gas prices were below $3 a gallon before Trump’s State of the Union address.

“This is an important victory for the American people,” the outgoing Montana lawmaker said. “Something that usually reminds you every week when you fill up your vehicle.”

Some Republicans and Trump administration officials also argue that a defeated Iran will eventually lead to lower gas prices, even if that proves painful in the short term.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the recent increase in oil and gas prices “temporary” during a press briefing Tuesday.

“Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices fall rapidly, potentially even lower than they were before the operation began,” Leavitt said.

“Ultimately, we’re going to destroy this regime, and their ability to disrupt oil will be less, and we’ll have more production, not less,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday. “Once you remove the largest state sponsor of terrorism and dependence on oil for revenue from the planet, the world becomes more stable.”

A Navy ship sails through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world’s oil and gas passes, March 1, 2026. (ISahar Al Attar/AFP via Getty Images)

However, some Republicans warn that high oil and gas prices could be catastrophic for the party’s prospects in the medium term.

“I think if you add high gas prices, high oil prices, and if we continue to bomb Iran with kinetic action…I think you’re going to see a disastrous election,” Sen. Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday.

Nearly seven in ten Americans – including 44% of Republicans – expect gas prices to continue to rise in the coming months, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released Monday.

Trump threatened Iran with unprecedented force if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz was further restricted.

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“Death, fire, and fury will reign over them — but I hope and pray that will not happen!” Asset wrote Monday on Truth Social.