CNNs own numbers now show that President Donald Trump is shouldering more public blame for high gas prices than any of his recent predecessors, even as his policies and leadership style remain far closer to traditional conservative energy priorities than those of the left.
According to Western Journal, CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten highlighted polling indicating that 77% of Americans now fault Trump for elevated fuel costs in the wake of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, a figure that surpasses the blame assigned to former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden at comparable moments. In 2005, 71% of Americans blamed Bush for higher gas prices, while 64% and 70% blamed Obama and Biden, respectively, underscoring how the current media narrative has successfully focused public frustration on Trump despite his long-standing advocacy for domestic production and energy independence.
Enten underscored the magnitude of the shift, remarking that [Trump] is getting blamed more to a historic degree. A Reuters poll he cited found that a majority of Republicans, 55%, and a striking 82% of independents, blamed Trump for the rising prices, a result that reflects not only economic anxiety but also the power of sustained anti-Trump messaging from legacy outlets and political opponents.
That is the highest ever blame for gas prices from ones own party, Enten said, noting how unusual it is for a Republican base that typically supports pro-drilling, pro-pipeline policies to echo talking points that mirror Democratic critiques. Then you see 82% of independents, thats the highest percentage who blame the president of the United States among independents But a majority, majority, a majority. Rarely do you get the trifecta of majority across the political spectrum agreeing on something. But here you have it, the majority of Republicans, independents and Democrats all blame Trump for higher gas prices.
Gas prices have surged by more than 47% since the onset of the Iran conflict, with the national average for regular gas hitting $4.39 as of Friday, according to AAA. While that remains below the $5.01 per gallon peak recorded under Biden on June 14, 2022, the current spike is being leveraged to paint Trump as uniquely culpable, even though global supply disruptions and geopolitical brinkmanship have historically driven such volatility.
The immediate trigger for the latest price shock was a dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil exports. The United States has been enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, while Iran has responded with tight control of the waterway and the seizure of ships, a tit-for-tat escalation that predictably rattled energy markets.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 64%, do not believe the Iran war is worth higher gas prices, while 34% take the opposite view, Enten said, citing CNBC. That skepticism reflects a long-standing conservative concern: that foreign entanglements and poorly defined missions can impose heavy costs on ordinary Americans at the pump and in the broader economy.
Despite the current wave of economic discontent, exit polls from the 2024 election showed that Americans ultimately trusted Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harris to address the economy and immigration, two core issues where conservative principles of secure borders and free-market growth stand in sharp contrast to progressive policies. That trust helped propel Trump back into office, even as media coverage increasingly emphasizes negative economic sentiment.
Polls now show most Americans disapproving of Trumps handling of the economy, including an NBC News Decision Desk survey in which only 37% approved while 63% disapproved. A CNN/SSRS poll likewise found Trumps economic approval rating at a record low of 31%, numbers that reflect short-term pain at the gas pump more than any full accounting of regulatory rollbacks, tax policy, or long-term energy strategy.
More Americans currently say they trust Democrats over Republicans to manage the economy, according to a Napolitan News Service poll, a finding that runs counter to decades of data showing stronger growth and job creation under policies favoring lower taxes and lighter regulation. As the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz standoff continue to roil markets, the central question for voters is whether they will ultimately judge Trump by transient price spikes driven by global crises, or by the broader conservative vision of American energy dominance and economic freedom that stands in stark opposition to the lefts regulatory and climate-driven agenda.
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