17. March 2026
‘Impeach Him!’: Rising Gas Prices Fuel Backlash Against Trump From Base”
WASHINGTON-- Three weeks into the joint US–Israeli war against Iran, President Donald Trump is confronting decisions that could shape the remainder of his presidency. Yet the gravity of the moment is not reflected in his public posture.
During more than an hour of remarks at the White House on Monday, Trump touched on the war but also veered into topics ranging from Kennedy Center renovations to the World Cup, a Republican congressman’s health, and plans for a new White House ballroom. Over the weekend, he played golf in Florida, and on his Truth Social platform he spent as much time criticizing the Supreme Court as he did discussing the conflict.
Despite his focus elsewhere, Trump is facing a reality that has challenged many presidents before him: war has a way of consuming an administration, regardless of intent. And signs are mounting that a conflict he once described as “already won” may stretch on for weeks or longer.
On Monday, Trump announced that the US had asked China to postpone his planned April visit by a month due to the war. “The president’s utmost responsibility right now as commander in chief is to ensure the continued success of Operation Epic Fury,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump also posted that he was forming a coalition to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, threatened by Iranian attacks.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others… will send ships,” he wrote. But since then, several nations—including Japan, Australia, and multiple European countries—have signaled they will not join. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain “will not be drawn into the wider war,” though he remains open to a “viable collective plan.”
This leaves Trump with a difficult choice: commit more US naval power to securing the strait—through which roughly 20% of global oil flows—or declare the mission accomplished and wind down operations. On Monday, he noted that the US was destroying Iranian minelaying vessels but warned that “all it takes is one.”
Meanwhile, the US appears to be keeping its options open. Last Friday, media reports indicated Trump had ordered a Marine amphibious unit of 5,000 personnel from Japan to the Middle East. Any expanded action would place US forces closer to Iran and increase the risks. But ending the campaign early could leave Iran capable of disrupting shipping and keeping oil prices elevated, potentially undercutting the strategic impact of tens of billions of dollars in US spending.
Clifford Young of Ipsos says prolonged high energy prices pose a serious political threat to a president already struggling with public opinion. Trump’s core supporters remain loyal, but he has lost ground among centrist Republicans and independents. His approval rating remains in the low 40s, and while the war has not yet significantly damaged him, that could change if it worsens the economic pressures Americans feel most acutely.
Housing, groceries, and consumer goods remain expensive, even as overall inflation has eased. Rising gas prices are especially dangerous politically. The national average is now $3.72 per gallon, up sharply from $2.94 a month ago. “It just blows up everything,” Young said. “The affordability agenda gets torpedoed.”
On the other side of the equation, escalating US involvement carries its own risks. Deploying Marines to secure the Strait of Hormuz, seize Iranian oil terminals, or dismantle nuclear infrastructure would likely provoke public backlash. Many Americans remain wary of long-term military commitments and recall Trump’s campaign promises to avoid foreign wars. “There’s a forever war fatigue,” Young said. “If we put boots on the ground… that changes everything.”
If the conflict remains limited to airstrikes, Trump may have time to regain political footing. Americans often blame presidents for rising gas prices, but frustration tends to fade when prices fall. With midterm elections still more than seven months away, Trump has a window to find a resolution that avoids an economic crisis.
“We don’t need anybody,” he said Monday. “We’re the strongest nation in the world.” But the reality is that none of his options are risk‑free—and the likelihood of a quick, clean end to the conflict is diminishing by the day.