Most registered voters say President Donald Trump bears responsibility for the latest jump in gasoline prices, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released recently, adding fresh political pressure as the White House tries to convince Americans the spike will be temporary.
Polls Show Broad Pain At The Pump
The survey, published last week, found 51% of registered voters blame Trump “a lot” for higher prices at the pump and another 14% blame him “some,” while 11% said “not much” and 23% said not at all.
A separate NBC News Decision Desk Poll, described in secondary reports published Sunday, found that nearly two-thirds of Americans said gas prices have been a problem for them and their family. In that survey, 29% called the issue a serious problem, 36% said it was somewhat serious, and 29% said it was not too serious.
AAA listed the national average for regular gasoline at $4.048 a gallon on April 19. That compares with $3.155 a year earlier on AAA’s tracker, while federal Energy Information Administration data showed the national weekly average at $4.123 on April 13, up from $3.247 in roughly the same period last year.
Hormuz Disruption Keeps Oil Markets On Edge
The surge has been tied to disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Reuters reported that the United States has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports while traffic through Hormuz has remained erratic amid renewed Iranian threats and ship seizures, keeping crude markets on edge.
Trump said this week he expects prices to fall sharply over time, but his own energy team has offered a less comforting timeline. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN on Sunday that prices may remain above $3 a gallon until next year.
Partisan Split And Diplomacy Unsettled
The Quinnipiac breakdown showed how partisan the issue has become. Among Democrats, 91% blamed Trump “a lot.” Among independents, 53% said the same. Republicans were far more forgiving, with 53% saying Trump was not to blame at all.
Diplomacy remains unsettled. Talks had been expected to resume in Islamabad, but Reuters reported this week that Pakistan said no dates were set for a second round and Iran later said it had not decided to send a delegation. Even so, leaders, including U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, have urged a return to diplomacy and full reopening of the strait.
Image via Shutterstock/ noamgalai
Recent Comments