Trump rattles GOP with 'exactly the opposite message' they need to in the midterms

Republicans continue to sweat over their seemingly inevitable doom in the 2026 midterms, and now, according to The Hill, many in the party are rattled as President Donald Trump spreads "exactly the opposite message" they need to reverse their fortunes.

"President Trump’s assertion that high gas prices may be here to stay from now until November is exactly the opposite message of what GOP lawmakers want to hear in a midterm year, underscoring how the Iran war has become bad news for Republicans, who risk losing control of Congress," the outlet reported on Tuesday.

Trump's alarming message for the GOP came during a Sunday interview with Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo, when he gave a notably noncommittal answer when asked if he believed that gas prices would be coming down soon. Instead of a firm, positive answer, Trump could only say that he hoped they would go down, while also warning that they might stay the same or continue to rise.

"I mean, I think so. It could be, it could be, or the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same," Trump said.

Gas prices have soared all over the U.S. in the wake of Trump's war with Iran and the subsequent shuttering of the Strait of Hormuz, with recent peace talks breaking down and seeming to make the situation even worse. Inflation and high prices were already the top issues for voters heading into the midterms, meaning that Trump's war of choice has made the GOP's standing even more fraught than it already was, given that gas prices are known as the most visible indicator of rising prices.

Speaking with The Hill, an anonymous GOP operative expressed concerns over that issue, citing the aforementioned visibility of gas prices.

"Candidly, it does worry me,” the operative said, adding that the gas prices “are advertised in big, light-up signs on every corner, and so it’s something that people tangibly see every single day.”

They continued: “I do think gas prices need to come down in order for Republicans to properly convey our message. It does obviously create a bit of a challenge with gas prices rising. However, I do think Americans and voters are willing to give the president a little bit more time with the war in Iran.”

While other sources who spoke with The Hill were a bit more optimistic about the chances that prices will come down soon and that the GOP will be able to campaign on tax cuts, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf taunted the U.S. in a recent post to X, warning that gas prices were only going to get worse as a result of Trump's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas,” Qalibaf posted.

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