Gas prices have risen by more than $1.50 per gallon since President Donald Trump launched attacks against Iran almost 10 weeks ago, and throughout that time, Republican lawmakers have offered a consistent response to the increased costs: It’s a sacrifice we have to make.
GOP lawmakers have preached patience with Trump’s war with Iran, insisting that an eventual victory that stops Iran from developing nuclear weapons will be worth it. But many of those same Republicans were sounding the alarm in 2022 when gas prices spiked under President Joe Biden after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“There are trade-offs,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., recently told MS NOW. “I think the American people understand it. They’ve been through conflicts in the Middle East before. They know these prices will come down once the conflict is over.”
That patience sits in stark contrast to Kennedy’s concern about the rise in gas prices during Biden’s presidency as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in early 2022. When pressed about how he squares his patience now — for a conflict Trump initiated — with his impatience with gas prices under Biden, Kennedy said, “I don’t have to square anything with you.” But Kennedy’s tolerance for high gas prices may exceed the patience of voters.
This is a preview of Jack Fitzpatrick’s latest article. Read the full article here.
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