Only 17% Say Trump's Republican-Led War With Iran Will Make Gas Prices Cheaper

The internet may make it easier to connect with each other than ever before, but thanks to the near ubiquity of our frenemy, the algorithm, even people who believe they're well-informed can end up in an isolated information bubble. With more violence rocking the Middle East and gas still over $4 per gallon on average, you probably know how you feel about gas prices, but what about the nation as a whole? And how does the country feel about the future of gas prices over the next year? Conveniently, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll just dropped, and it looks like only about one in six Americans believes gas prices will get cheaper over the next 12 months. 

In a survey of 4,531 U.S. adults, conducted between June 3-8, the Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 17% of respondents said the Republican-led war would make gas prices better in the next year, 13% said they expected prices would stay about the same, 11% skipped the question or were unsure, and 59% said they thought gas would only get more expensive. So if you're one of the 83% of Americans who aren't buying Republicans' promises that everything's about to get super cheap any day now, you aren't alone. 

Dig into political affiliation, and responses from Democrats and Republicans don't look like the mirror images you'd expect. About 83% of Dems say gas prices will only get worse over the next year, 9% say they'll stay the same, and only 3% say they'll get better. Meanwhile, 34% of Republicans answered "worse," 19% chose "about the same," and 39% picked "better." Republicans who were polled are more optimistic about gas prices than Democrats are, but they're far from a monolith.

It's important to reiterate that this survey is about as new as it gets. It's also intended to be a nationwide representative sample, and respondents weren't answering based on what they thought would happen in another month — this is what they were thinking about gas prices over the next 12 months. 

Independents are usually more difficult to pin down, but in this survey, their responses lined up pretty closely with what we saw from Democratic voters. 11% of Independent respondents said gas prices would get better, 12% said they'd stay the same, and 61% said they'd get worse. Of course, as with most surveys of people who identify as political independents, that group also answered "don't know" in the largest numbers, coming in at 16%, compared to Democrats at 5% and Republicans' 9%.

The same survey also found that only 22% approve of Trump's actions on the cost of living, while 70% disapprove. For comparison, when Joe Biden left the White House, he had 29% approval over the cost of living and 63% disapproval. When asked, "Is US military action in Iran worth it?", 25% of all adults said yes and 53% said no. Republicans, of course, disagree, with 56% saying the war is worth it and only 22% saying it isn't. Democrats went 5% worth it versus 83% saying it isn't worth it, and "Independents" were split 15/54. Once again, the latter also accounted for the largest number of "don't know" responses, with 31% of independents not knowing their answer to this one.

The latest Ipsos Public Poll also included a question about how those surveyed respond to "a noticeable increase in gas prices or general living costs," and only 18% said they make enough to not worry about pricier gas or the higher cost of living. Most people (53%) cut back on eating at restaurants, hobbies, and other entertainment, postponing larger expenses (39%) and buying cheaper brands (38) being the next-most-popular responses. 

With results like that, no wonder the Reuters/Ipsos poll found that Trump only has a 35% approval rating. Back in 2024, Trump repeatedly promised to make gas cheap and avoid dragging us into another war, only for bailing on the latter to cause the inverse of the former.