See President Trump claim gas prices will ‘drop’ after Iran war
President Trump gives update on gas prices, expecting a substantial drop after the Iran war.
More Americans are unhappy with President Donald Trump‘s stances on the war with Iran and the nation’s cost of living − especially when it comes to the gas pump, a national poll released by Marist on May 6 shows.
Just 37% of respondents approve of the job Trump is doing overall, while 59% disapprove and 4% are unsure, according to the new survey, conducted in partnership with NPR and PBS.
The ongoing war continues to grow more unpopular with six in 10 Americans disapproving how Trump is handling the conflict with Iran saying it “has done more harm than good,” the poll found.
The poll also found 62% of Americans − up from 57% in January − think the United States’ role on the world stage has been weakened because of the president’s decisions, while 38% say it has been strengthened.
“President Trump remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told USA TODAY on May 6. “As the President continues to exert maximum leverage over Iran with the ongoing successful blockade to bring this conflict to an end, we will see global energy markets stabilize and gas prices plummet back to the multi-year lows Americans enjoyed prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury.”
The poll of 1,322 adults took place from April 27 to April 30 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
It was conducted by phone using live interviewers, by text, or online.
How Americans feel about Trump handling the war in Iran
The latest poll also shows 60% of Americans − up from 54% in March − are unhappy about how Trump is handling the war in Iran while 33% approve and 7% are unsure.
In a post on social media Trump said the conflict that began Feb. 28 could end if Iran agrees to U.S. terms and allows commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. But he said if leaders in the country’s capital of Tehran do not agree, bombing would resume “at a much higher level and intensity.”
Though talks of a peace deal are in the works, tensions rose after the U.S. on May 4 launched “Project Freedom,” an effort to unilaterally reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
In a letter obtained by USA TODAY, Trump wrote to lawmakers to say the U.S. military is still needed in the Middle East because of “the threat posed by Iran.” The president previously initiated “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran saying he wants to prevent the country from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
“There will never be a deal unless they agree there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in late April.
How the nation feels about Trump handling the cost of living
The survey showed more than eight in 10 Americans feel a strain on their household budget due to current gas prices.
Some 63% of residents blame the Republican president for high gas prices, the poll found. This includes 89% of Democrats, 32% of Republicans, and 63% of independents. According to the poll, 37% place little or no blame for the increased price of gas on the president.
The average price of gas rose to $4.53 per gallon on May 6, up from an average of $4.17 just over a week ago on April 28, the AAA auto club reported.
Before the war, prices were less than $3 per gallon on average.
During a news conference on May 4, Trump said he expects the price of gasoline to drop “substantially” after the war ends.
“I think very rapidly too, at levels that you’ve never seen because there’s a lot of energy out there, ships all over the world that are loaded up with it,” Trump said.
Contributing: Greta Cross, Bart Jansen and Michael Loria with USA TODAY
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
