In the face of rising gas prices caused by President Donald Trump’s decision to launch war with Iran, a sizeable majority of Americans expect that the problem will only continue to get worse. According to the Hill, a new poll shows that nearly two out of three U.S. voters think the cost of gas will continue to rise over the coming year. “The survey, released Monday by Reuters/Ipsos, found that 59 percent of 4,531 respondents said that gas prices will go up in the next 12 months,” explained the Hill. “Meanwhile, 17 percent of respondents said that they will improve, 13 percent said they will stay the same and 11 percent either skipped the question or were unsure. More than 8 in 10 Democrats and more than 6 in 10 independents believe gas prices will continue to increase over the next year. Just more than one-third of Republicans said the same while a plurality of that group, 39 percent, said the opposite.”This shows that not only do Americans in general see the situation getting worse moving forward, but that one in three Republicans share that pessimism. That surprisingly sizeable negative faction within the president’s own party suggests a strong level of discontent with his economy and doubt over his handling of the war. “Negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East, which recently passed the 100-day mark, are ongoing and on rocky footing, after Iran and Israel traded fire over the weekend,” the Hill explained. “President Trump told reporters early Tuesday morning that negotiations with the Islamic Republic are ‘going well’ and he ‘could have at least an idea by one or two days from now’ on whether the two sides will come to an agreement. Throughout the conflict, the president has expressed optimism about the state of negotiations.” The gas poll, however, suggests that voters — even a third of his own — don’t share that optimism. While gas prices have eased slightly in recent days, “Gas prices remain well above their benchmark in the days before the war. AAA reported on Feb. 26, two days before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, that the national average for a gallon of regular gas was under $2.99.” As of Tuesday, the average price is $4.16 — an increase of nearly 40 percent.According to Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, the recent dip in fuel prices is due to lower oil costs and “improving refinery runs.” He went on to note, however, that with the Strait of Hormuz still “effectively closed,” any “further deterioration” in the region “could send prices sharply higher.” “For now, motorists may enjoy the savings at the pump,” he warned, “but the risk of a significant reversal has not gone away.”
