Americans, divided on many issues, find unity in frustration over rising gas prices

DE SOTO, Iowa (AP) — Francisco Castillo wasn’t happy as he stood next to his son’s Ford pickup truck at a Central Iowa gas station off Interstate 80.

He had voted for President Donald Trump in the last election. He believed that Trump had succeeded in boosting the economy in his first term, and he wanted more of that.

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“I thought he was going to bring some of this stuff back,” said Castillo, a 43-year-old factory worker. And now? He added: “He said he would reduce gas, but now the war in Iran is making things worse.”

A nation divided on many fronts appears to be finding common ground in the pain at gas stations, as the cost of the Iran war hits Americans squarely in the wallet and aggravates people across the political spectrum.

For Castillo and many others who filled their tanks Monday at gas stations in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and Iowa, it was a reminder that politicians’ promises won’t pay the bills.

“They do what works for them,” Castillo said. “I have to go to work every day no matter what.”

Some are optimistic that the sticker shock will be short-lived. Others blame corporate interests rather than the president. Electric car owners are especially grateful for their decision as they pass gas stations as prices rise.

The national gas price averaged $3.48 a gallon on Monday, up from $2.90 a month ago, before the war, according to AAA tracking.

The price hike is a reminder of how Trump has deviated from his campaign promises. Not only were the Americans involved in a new war abroad, but they were paying the price for it every time they filled their tanks.

Trump insisted that the struggle was worth it.

“We are putting an end to all of this threat once and for all, and the result will be lower oil prices and lower oil and gas prices for American families,” he said at a news conference on Monday. He said that war was “just a journey into something that had to be done.”

Robert Cone of Omaha, Nebraska, filled his tank on his way to Ames, Iowa. Although he is not a Trump voter, he believes strikes in Iran should happen.

However, he fears US involvement will not go the way he wants, which is “in, out, done.”

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted over the weekend showed that about half of registered voters oppose US military action against Iran while about 4 in 10 support it. The vast majority of Democrats were against it (89%), the vast majority of Republicans supported it (85%) and independents were against it (60%).

Overall, three-quarters of participants were concerned about rising gas and oil prices due to the war.

In Florida, fuel consumption continues to roll

For now, rising prices aren’t stopping Ray Albrecht from hauling the 32-foot (11-meter) camper on his Silverado pickup truck across the country while attending motorcycle festivals like Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida.

However, he said he would stop traveling if the price reached $5 a gallon because he only gets 8 miles per gallon with his truck and camper. He stopped at a Speedway gas station off Interstate 4 in Winter Park, Florida, and paid $3.59 per gallon for a half-tank to keep him headed toward his home in Wisconsin.

“I was very grateful that gas prices were really reasonable” until at least last week, said Albrecht, 67, who identified himself as an independent voter.

At the same gas station, Republican-leaning Tyler Nebel, 23, said the price of gas in his Toyota Tacoma might affect his vote in the midterm elections this fall but it would not change his driving habits.

“You just have to fill it up, bite the bullet and hope prices come down again — that’s all I can really do,” said Nebel, who runs a startup in the Orlando, Florida, area. “I still have to get from point A to point B, and I need gas to do that.”

A retiree cuts his money in Pennsylvania

Katherine Price Engelhardt, 70, gassed her Subaru Forester at a Wawa in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. A retired nonprofit executive and “strong Democrat” said she had to stop at more than half a tank because she’s on a fixed income. Last week, she paid just $30 to cover her expenses.

Likewise, it cut its order for home heating oil in half because the cost also rose. “When I look at oil prices in the past and the stupid war, how did we think — how did anyone think — that it wouldn’t affect oil?” I asked. “Of course it affects the oil.”

In Fearless Hills, Pennsylvania, Vivian Knight, 53, hopes last week’s packing will last her a month. It is a past eradication due to disability. “If I had to go to work or something, gas prices would be ridiculous,” she said.

Speaking of Trump, she said, “He’s kind of causing some problems that you don’t really need to start,” and puts the Iran war in that category.

The saga will have no impact on how Joey Perrillo, 74, votes in November.

“The price of gas could have gone down to 2 cents a gallon and I would have voted against it,” said the volunteer firefighter, retired actor and political independent from Yardley, Pennsylvania.

In Michigan, gratitude for electric cars

In the Detroit suburb of Livonia, Anthony Gooden, 57, gauged the plight of gas-powered car owners while waiting for his Chevy Equinox EV to charge at the station.

“They’re going through it now,” said Gooden, 57, of the nearby town of Redford. “And it’s getting worse.”

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Gooden gave up his internal combustion engine car more than a year ago, and said days like these reinforce that decision. “You’re happier now,” he said. “There is no comparison.”

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Elvana Hammoud, 55, a diversity strategist, drives a Mach-E electric SUV as well as a Ford Raptor truck that costs $100 to fill when gas costs more than $3. It’s an easy option that you can use more now.

“I mostly drive an electric car, especially to work because I have a long commute,” she said. The Raptor is for snowy days, short errands, or when hauling something large. “I used it frequently just for fun when gas prices were lower.”

Trump has placed a number of barriers to the rapid expansion of electric vehicles in favor of policies promoting gasoline-powered cars. Among them, the tax and spending bill passed by Congress last year eliminated federal tax credits that saved buyers up to $7,500 off new and used electric vehicle purchases.

In North Carolina, there are concerns about gerrymandering

Kevin Curtis, 65, filled his pickup truck at a Shell station in Graham, North Carolina, where unleaded started at $3.34 per gallon, up from $2.59 in the area last week.

The Republican retiree stressed, “Everyone who sells fuel at these high prices is gouging prices, and there is nothing we can do about it because we all have to have gasoline to continue driving.”

Ken Shuttlesworth, a 70-year-old IT executive from Graham who described himself as an independent Democrat, said he can stomach rising gas costs but worries about his children, grandchildren and others who live near the financial margins.

He said Trump should have consulted Congress and had a more public debate before pushing the country into war.

“We have someone who is not following this policy,” he said. “He follows his instincts.”

Fingerhut reported from Iowa, Homeowner from Michigan, Schneider from Florida, Catalini from Pennsylvania, and Barrow from Georgia. Associated Press writers Calvin Woodward and Lynley Sanders contributed.