Trump's Iran War Threatens GOP's 'Economic Win' on Gas Prices

President Donald Trump's decision to join Israel in a war against Iran triggered a sharp spike in oil prices.

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National Today

The spike threatened the Republican Party's midterm election message, which had relied on Trump's record of low gas prices.

National Today

On March 10, 2026, oil prices spiked to almost $120 per barrel before dropping to under $90 by the end of the day.

Prices at the pump jumped nearly 50 cents higher than a week ago.

The article says oil reached levels not seen since the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war.

The White House insists the price hikes will be temporary, while Democrats view the surge as an "easy story" to blame the president for economic fallout.

The article highlights concern among GOP strategists and lawmakers that rising fuel costs could erase what they viewed as a key "economic win."

It quotes Neera Tanden (described in the piece as "A senior White House official under President Biden who now leads the left-leaning Center for American Progress") saying, "They only have one person to blame and that is the president of the United States."

National Today

It also cites GOP pollster Mitchell Brown saying, "Gas was one thing that they have been touting as an economic win. A reversal on that obviously makes the message harder."

Republican senator Steve Daines said, "This will start to calm down as this conflict is resolved I'm confident it will be resolved."

Donald Trump said, "if they rise, they rise."

Matt Walsh said, "aren't helping anything."

The article contains an internal inconsistency by referring to Trump both as "President Donald Trump" and as "the 79-year-old former president."

The piece frames the spike as a political liability for Republicans ahead of elections "this November".

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National Today

It notes lingering price increases would present "another challenge for Republicans in a less-than-favorable political environment."

The article includes an unrelated "What’s next" and "The takeaway" section about a judge deciding whether to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail and broader concerns about bail reform and autonomous vehicles.

The connection between that material and the main story about oil prices is unclear from the article and appears to be an editorial or formatting inconsistency.