The surge in gas prices triggered by President Donald Trump’s ill-conceived war on Iran is shaping up to be a political crisis for the president. The changes make an unpopular military conflict tangible in Americans’ everyday lives, and they exacerbate an issue that was already a weakness for Trump (and his predecessor): affordability.
A Yahoo/YouGov poll published last week found that gas prices are already doing serious damage to Trump’s popularity. The survey of about 1,700 U.S. adults found that 66% disapprove of how the president is handling gas prices while only 27% approve. A similar breakdown emerged over cost of living: 67% disapprove of the president’s approach, while 26% approve.
The poll also documented a sharp plunge in public perception of Trump’s handling of the economy compared with findings a month earlier. Approval dropped from 37% to 32%, and disapproval rose from 57% to 61%.
These numbers should be flashing warning signs for Trump. And this morning's Truth Social post announcing the president would "postpone" threatened military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days following what he claimed were "productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution" suggests those warnings signs are too big for even Trump to ignore.
This is a preview of Zeeshan Aleem's latest column. Read the full column here.
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