HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — A growing group of Republicans in competitive midterm races is calling on President Donald Trump to end the war with Iran.
GOP candidates, in an increasingly dire election environment, are breaking with their leader to show voters they’re serious about addressing affordability concerns. The war has raised prices across the U.S., including at the gas pump, which many Americans consider an economic benchmark.
“The war needs to come to an end as quickly as possible so that we can lower gas prices,” Senator Jon Husted, the Ohio Republican running a tight reelection race, told Politico on Tuesday.
The national average gas price has risen $1.30 per gallon over the past year, AAA data shows, and even higher in some states with competitive midterm contests. Prices in Iowa, where Republicans risk losing a Senate seat, are climbing north of $4.30, a 50-percent increase from a year ago.
Representative Ashley Hinson, the GOP’s nominee to replace retiring Senator Joni Ernst, called Monday for an immediate end to the war, which she said has squeezed Iowans at the gas pump and grocery store.
“I am working every day to deliver bipartisan results for Iowans and I will work with anyone who is ready to tackle this challenge immediately,” Hinson wrote in an X post, though she voted against a Democratic measure directing an end to the war as recently as last week.
The National News Desk requested comment from the White House but hasn’t received a response.
Trump has dismissed Americans’ affordability anxieties and ensured he’ll approach Iran without regard for the midterms. He told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that Iran’s inability to create a nuclear weapon is his greatest concern.
“The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate,” the president said. “If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror, and oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict, and they were very low.”
Prices for oil and gas will take time to fall even if Trump strikes an immediate deal to permanently end the war. His Republican allies in Congress may suffer at the ballot box as voters upset with the economy punish the GOP.
The party’s trailing in generic ballot polls just weeks ahead of the November elections, putting Democrats in position to take control of the House and potentially the Senate.
Do you have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.