U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the members of the media after disembarking Air Force One as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., April 12, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump is eating the only options he has to maintain power in Congress.
According to the Washington Post, the Iran war has become such a huge political problem that Republicans are quickly losing hope that they can stop a blue-wave in November.
Republicans went into the year hoping to run on lower prices, border security and stability, but the Iran war has shifted all of that. While the conversation has changed toward military escalation, the growing problem comes from high energy prices and increasing uncertainty. The Post says that puts vulnerable Republicans in a difficult spot because they either have to defend Trump’s decisions, avoid talking about them altogether or buck the president and risk his attacks.
Meanwhile, Republicans can't figure out a winning message that appeases Trump while also winning back angry voters.
Independent voters appear especially uneasy, with polling showing many of them say the administration has not clearly explained why the U.S. is involved in Iran. That matters because independents often decide close races, especially in swing states and tight House districts.
Democrats are hoping the war will help them in the midterms by framing Trump and Republicans as reckless and disconnected from everyday concerns like the cost of living. If energy prices rise or the war drags on, Democrats think they can further fracture the GOP by arguing that Trump claimed he would put “America First,” while doing the opposite.
“Republicans are extremely concerned about how a longer war … drags on and into the midterms,” said Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett when speaking to the Post. “The higher prices climb, the lower polls go … and that has the possibility to turn safe seats into battleground seats.”
Other Republicans are risking it, hopeful that the war will quickly end and all of the financial problems will end with it. The problem with that hope is that Trump told Fox News on Sunday that fuel prices may not drop by the time the November election comes along.
The Times cited Democratic National Committee chair, Ken Martin, said in a statement that if Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s “midterm pitch to Americans is higher gas prices by Election Day, Republicans are in big, big trouble.”
A GOP strategist working on midterm elections said GOP members hope it has reached its peak and will decline from here.
“There’s an expectation this is the lowest it gets, and we only have room to grow,” the strategist told the Post.
“This summer, people are going to be making travel plans, and if we continue to have $4 gas, it’s going to hurt a lot of consumers,” said Jonathan Bridges, a Republican strategist in North Carolina. “But a lot can happen.”
“With the ceasefire now in place and a long-term peace plan being worked on, oil and gas prices will continue falling back to the multiyear lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement last week.
However, so much has changed since Roberts' comment was made. Trump decided that after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, he would shut it down too, positioning battleships to threaten anyone who tried to leave with oil. When Iran had it partially shut down last week, there were still boats going through. At approximately 10 a.m. EDT, that ends.
