20 hours ago
1
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Republicans have largely been on defense against Democratic criticism. Here are five arguments advanced by figures in both parties.
Sean Duffy, Michele Tafoya, Thomas Massie and Chuck Schumer gave remarks on the recent surge in gas prices.The New York Times and Associated Press
March 22, 2026
The war in Iran has driven the average cost of a gallon of gasoline in the United States to nearly $4, forcing Republicans to field an onslaught of election season attacks from Democrats who say the Trump administration is crushing Americans at the pump.
President Trump has sought to downplay war-related cost increases, recently saying that oil prices had not risen as steeply as he expected and that they would soon moderate. “It’s not bad,” he told reporters on Thursday. “And it’s going to be over with pretty soon.”
But motorists are becoming frustrated, with public opinion polls indicating that most Americans do not believe they should have to accept the rising gasoline costs.
As gas prices have become a central topic in the midterms, Democrats and Republicans have responded with a spectrum of strategies. Here are five arguments advanced by figures in the parties.
Sean Duffy said the spike would be ‘short-lived.’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that the president was squarely focused on energy costs and that the rise in gas prices would be temporary.
“You’re going to see this as short-lived,” Mr. Duffy told ABC News, predicting a “very quick rebound in energy prices when this conflict is resolved.”
