Americans blame Trump for rising gas prices, poll finds

The poll, conducted by Navigator Research and published on Wednesday, found that 87% of Americans believe gas prices are increasing, including 60% who say they are going up “a lot.”

The concern spans political affiliations, with 91% of Democrats, 90% of independents and 81% of Republicans reporting higher costs.

Americans broadly disapprove of Trump’s handling of gas prices, with 65% disapproving and 28% approving, a net negative of 37 points. Among independents, disapproval is even sharper, at 72% compared with 15% approval.

While Republicans overall remain more supportive, the survey points to divisions within the party. Non-MAGA Republicans are more likely to disapprove than approve of Trump’s handling of gas prices, and Republican women show weaker support than Republican men.

The survey also identifies the war with Iran as a central factor in rising fuel costs. About 71% of respondents cited the conflict as a driver of higher gas prices, more than those who blamed oil and gas companies or political leaders alone.

When asked to assign responsibility, 60% said Trump and Republicans in Congress were more to blame for rising gas prices than Democrats in Congress, compared with 16% who blamed Democrats. That gap widens when the war is explicitly mentioned as a cause.

On which party is better equipped to handle gas prices, Americans are narrowly divided. Thirty-five percent said they trust Democrats more, while 31% favored Trump and Republicans. More than a quarter of respondents said they trust neither.

The survey was conducted from April 2-6 among 1,000 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, said Navigator Research.