伊朗冲突导致美国民众汽油价格飙升，自2月28日“史诗般愤怒行动”开始以来，平均每加仑汽油价格上涨了50美分。
美国汽车协会（AAA）数据显示，周五汽油均价达到每加仑3.63美元，柴油价格也升至每加仑4.89美元。油价上涨主要由石油价格波动推动，周四油价在霍尔木兹海峡因冲突实际上关闭后，油价自2022年以来首次突破每桶100美元。
总统在周日的Truth Social帖子中将伊朗冲突期间的汽油价格上涨描述为“非常小的代价”。
这一表述与特朗普在“史诗般愤怒行动”前典型的低油价宣传形成鲜明对比。
“在我的前任领导下，一些州的汽油价格一度达到每加仑6美元以上的峰值——老实说，那是一场灾难——现在大多数州的汽油价格都低于2.30美元，有些地方甚至只要1.99美元。”前总统唐纳德·特朗普在2月27日的国情咨文演讲中表示，“几周前我访问爱荷华州时，甚至看到每加仑1.85美元的汽油。”
汽油和柴油价格的飙升可能削弱特朗普总统和国会共和党人的经济宣传，他们一直将低油价作为11月中期选举前的重大胜利进行吹嘘。生活成本问题预计将成为选民最关心的问题，两党都声称将“全力聚焦于让日常生活更实惠”。
特朗普周三下令战略石油储备释放1.72亿加仑原油，以降低油价。
“我加满过一次，我还会再加满，但现在我们会稍微减少储备，让价格降下来。”特朗普告诉辛辛那提新闻电视台WKRC。
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在2024年总统竞选期间，特朗普经常强调要“结束拜登对美国能源的战争”，并承诺扭转其前任任期内出现的汽油价格上涨。
美国能源信息署数据显示，在拜登四年任期内，所有燃料级别平均汽油价格为每加仑3.45美元，2022年6月俄乌战争爆发后，油价飙升至每加仑5美元以上的历史新高。
“从第一天起，我们将降低价格，让美国再次变得‘负担得起’。”特朗普在2024年7月共和党全国委员会会议的演讲中表示，“人们不能这样生活。”
民主党人抓住伊朗冲突期间加油站油价上涨大做文章。
“我希望政府在发动这场不必要的战争之前能考虑到这一点。”缅因州独立参议员安格斯·金（I-Maine）在周一被问及汽油价格上涨时表示，他与民主党团投票一致。
“唐纳德·特朗普的战争让汽油价格飙升到了天价。”参议院少数党领袖、纽约州民主党人查克·舒默周一在社交媒体上写道，“多么轻蔑，多么无知。”
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共和党人则对油价上涨会是暂时的表示有信心。共和党议员经常引用他们努力撤销拜登政府时代的能源法规、增加国内产量的行动，作为证明其政策能降低能源价格的证据。
“短期内可能会波动，关键是确保我们能安全进入霍尔木兹海峡。”蒙大拿州共和党议员史蒂夫·戴恩斯周一表示，并补充说他相信这一干扰将是短暂的。
在上周突然暂停连任竞选的戴恩斯强调，在特朗普国情咨文演讲前，平均汽油价格低于每加仑3美元。
“这对美国人民来说是个重要胜利。”即将卸任的蒙大拿州议员表示，“当你每周给汽车加油时，你通常都会注意到这一点。”
一些共和党人和特朗普政府官员还辩称，即使短期内有阵痛，击败伊朗最终会促使汽油价格下降。
周二新闻发布会上，白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特将近期油气价格上涨描述为“暂时的”。
“一旦‘史诗般愤怒行动’的国家安全目标完全实现，美国人将看到石油和天然气价格迅速下降，甚至可能低于行动开始前的水平。”莱维特表示。
“归根结底，我们将摧毁这个政权，他们扰乱石油的能力将降低，我们的产量将增加而不是减少。”南卡罗来纳州共和党议员林赛·格雷厄姆周一告诉记者，“一旦世界上最大的恐怖主义支持国（指伊朗）被从地球上消灭，这个国家依赖石油收入，世界将更加稳定。”
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然而，一些共和党人警告称，高油气价格可能对该党中期选举前景造成灾难性影响。
“如果油价和油气价格居高不下，而且我们仍然用军事行动打击伊朗……我认为你会看到一场灾难性的选举。”肯塔基州共和党议员兰德·保罗周二告诉福克斯商业频道记者玛丽亚·巴蒂罗莫。
路透社与益普索联合发布的民调显示，近七成美国人（包括44%的共和党人）预计未来几个月汽油价格将继续上涨。
特朗普周一在Truth Social上写道：“如果霍尔木兹海峡的石油运输进一步受限，我将以前所未有的力量威胁伊朗。”
“死亡、火焰和愤怒将降临到他们身上——但我希望并祈祷这不会发生！”
Republicans sharply criticized former President Joe Biden over rising prices at the gas pump, but a spike in energy prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran threatens to scramble the party’s affordability messaging.
The Iran conflict has led to a surge in gas prices for Americans, leading to an average 50 cents a gallon increase since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
The average price of gas reached $3.63 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA. Diesel prices have also risen to $4.89 per gallon. The increases have been mostly fueled by volatility in oil prices, which closed above $100 per barrel Thursday for the first time since 2022 as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shuttered from the conflict.
The president characterized the gas price hike amid the Iran conflict as “a very small price to pay” in a Truth Social post Sunday.
That statement represented a sharp break with Trump’s typical messaging touting low gas prices prior to Operation Epic Fury.
“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor — it was quite honestly a disaster — is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon,” President Donald Trump said during his Feb. 27 State of the Union address. “And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.”
The surge in gas and diesel prices threatens to undermine the economic message of President Trump and congressional Republicans, who have touted low gas prices as a major win in the lead-up to November’s midterm elections. Cost of living issues are expected to be a key concern among voters as both parties claim to be laser-focused on making everyday life more affordable.
Trump directed the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release 172 million gallons of crude oil Wednesday in an effort to lower oil prices.
“I filled it up once, and I’ll fill it up again, but right now, we’ll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down,” Trump told Cincinnati news station WKRC.
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During the 2024 presidential contest, Trump frequently campaigned on ending Biden’s “war on American energy” and pledged to reverse a surge in gas prices that occurred under his predecessor’s tenure.
Gas prices averaged $3.45 per gallon across all fuel grades during Biden’s four-year term, surging to a record high of more than $5 per gallon in June 2022 after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Starting on Day 1, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again,” Trump said during a speech at the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024. “People can’t live like this.”
Democrats have seized on rising prices at the pump amid the conflict in Iran.
“I wish the administration thought about this before they started this unnecessary war,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, said Monday when asked about the gas price hike.
“Donald Trump’s war has sent gas prices skyrocketing through the roof,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on social media Monday. “What contempt. What cluelessness.”
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Republicans have voiced confidence that the rise in gas prices would be temporary. GOP lawmakers have frequently cited their efforts to roll back Biden-era energy regulations and boost domestic production as evidence that their policies are working to lower energy prices.
“It’s going to be probably volatile for a period of time. I think what’s going to be key is ensuring we can get safe access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Monday, adding that he was confident the disruption would be short-lived.
Daines, who abruptly suspended his re-election campaign last week, highlighted that average gas prices were under $3 per gallon prior to Trump’s State of the Union speech.
“That’s an important win for the American people,” the retiring Montana lawmaker said. “Something you’re reminded of usually weekly when you’re gassing up your vehicle.”
Some Republicans and Trump administration officials are also arguing that a defeated Iran will ultimately spur lower gas prices, even if there is pain in the short run.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the recent increase in oil and gas prices as “temporary” during a briefing Tuesday.
“Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly, potentially even lower than they were prior to the start of the operation,” Leavitt said.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to destroy this regime, and their ability to disrupt oil is going to be less, and we’re going to have more production, not less,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday. “Once you take the largest state sponsor of terrorism off the planet, who depends on oil for their revenue, that’s a more stable world.”
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However, some Republicans are warning that high oil and gas prices could be catastrophic for the party’s midterm prospects.
“I think if you add in high gas prices, high oil prices, and if we are still bombing Iran with kinetic action … I think you’re going to see a disastrous election,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday.
Nearly seven in 10 Americans — including 44% of Republicans — expect gas prices to keep increasing in the coming months, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released Monday.
Trump has threatened Iran with unprecedented force if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is further restricted.
“Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.
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