Gas Prices Surge As Midterms Approach
A Fish Market, from "Divers sujets Remarquables tirez de L'Histoire Greque" — François Chauveau, 1652
What Happened
The national average for a gallon of gas hit $4.48 Friday, up $1.27 from a year ago, as fallout from the Iran war ripples through household budgets. Trump has called the increase a small price to pay. Voters interviewed across Texas, Arizona, Michigan, Virginia and North Carolina largely disagree.
Why It Matters
A Fox News poll finds 61% of voters call gas prices a major problem, up from 48% two years ago, and 63% say the administration has made the economy worse. Even some Trump voters say they're struggling but plan to vote Republican anyway. Gas is one of the few prices people watch change in real time. That makes it hard to spin and easy to blame.
What's Next
Early voting is already underway in states like Virginia, with the midterms seven weeks out.