War-driven gas spike in US puts pressure on summer travelers — and Republicans

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina — The spike in gas prices is a national political calamity for the White House — but it’s also a local political challenge in every state of the union as Americans hit the road for the busiest travel season of the year. While the Trump administration is focused on $5.02 — the per-gallon high-water mark hit under the Biden administration in 2022 as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine snarled energy supplies — gas prices in many states are nearing or have already eclipsed th

“I think there are a lot of potential solutions” to rising costs, he said. “But I think that the war in Iran is affecting us most of all.” Outside, waiting for the restaurant to open, LeTrice Stephens, a 44-year-old certified nursing assistant, said the price of gas — a full tank now costs her $70 instead of $50 — has her staying in more. “I go home and to work,” she said. “That’s all I can take right now.” The average pump price in every state ticked above $4 a gallon on Wednesday, according to American Automobile Association data, with the national average now at its highest mark this year at $4.56. The state of Washington has already set an all-time record, at $5.79, and several other Western states are approaching new peaks as the primary cause of the spikes — Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz — shows no sign of abating. “With everything going on in the world, everything going on in the country, there is only one thing that Alaskans are talking about, and that is the prices that they are seeing in their communities as a consequence of higher fuel prices,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters on Tuesday. The average price of gasoline in her state was $5.27 a gallon on Thursday. The fuel crisis is especially acute in rural Alaskan communities that are receiving their first fuel barges of the year, which locks in the high prices for months ahead, Murkowski said. “It’s a tough time for us right now.” Trump has warned that active fighting in Iran could resume in the days ahead, and crude prices continue to flirt with the triple digits as U.S. “This is peanuts,” the president said of high gas prices on Tuesday. “I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while — it won’t be much longer … What I think about is you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.” Rep.

Key points

• “I think there are a lot of potential solutions” to rising costs, he said.
• “But I think that the war in Iran is affecting us most of all.” Outside, waiting for the restaurant to open, LeTrice Stephens, a 44-year-old certified nursing assistant, said the price of gas — a f…
• “I go home and to work,” she said.
• “That’s all I can take right now.” The average pump price in every state ticked above $4 a gallon on Wednesday, according to American Automobile Association data, with the national average now at i…
• The state of Washington has already set an all-time record, at $5.79, and several other Western states are approaching new peaks as the primary cause of the spikes — Iran’s closure of the Strait of…