Americans are headed into summer stressed to the brink. With voter confidence in the economy plunging to multi-year lows, just 16% of Americans view Trump’s economy as “good” or “excellent” — largely due to Donald Trump’s affordability crisis, which is hitting the energy sector harder than any other. Americans are more worried about energy costs than at any point in nearly two decades. Prices at the pump are the most expensive they’ve been in years, with gas and diesel both up over 60% since January. Spiking oil prices come right after Trump and Republicans willingly chose to gut the clean energy investments that would’ve lowered utility bills for millions of American families. Thanks to Trump and the GOP, working families are paying more to heat their homes, fill their tanks, and keep the lights on.
TRUMP’S ENERGY AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
- TRUMP SENT GAS PRICES THROUGH THE ROOF. Trump’s war in Iran shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass, and sent gas prices through the roof, with March marking the largest monthly jump in gas prices in 60 years. Gas prices are up more than 60% since January, with every state topping $4 per gallon. Analysts estimate that the average American household will end up paying $740 more in gas costs over the course of the year, and high gas prices are hitting lower-income households the hardest.
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- SKY-HIGH GAS PRICES ARE A TOP AFFORDABILITY CONCERN. NEARLY 8 IN 10 BLAME TRUMP. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say gas prices are a top affordability concern, with just under 80% changing their spending patterns to cope with the steep rise in gas prices. 77% of voters blame Trump for sky-high gas prices.
- NO END IN SIGHT. Economists are forecasting record-high summer gas prices, with the summer average forecast to be $4.80 per gallon. A majority of Americans expect gas prices to remain high for six months or more.
- TRUMP’S OIL SHOCK IS RIPPLING THROUGH THE U.S. ECONOMY. Americans have spent about $45 billion more on gas and diesel during Trump’s war with Iran than they did last year. But spiking oil prices aren’t just hitting drivers. The effects are rippling throughout the entire economy as diesel, household utilities, and jet fuel costs all spike:
- DIESEL UP 60%. Like gas, diesel prices are up more than 60% since January. Unlike gasoline, however, diesel fuels the American economic engine, powering everything from agriculture and trucking to rail transit and shipping. Many distributors, stressed by high fuel costs, have already introduced surcharges, route changes, and price adjustments to stay afloat – passing on even more economic pain to small businesses and consumers alike.
- UTILITY BILLS CREEP UP. Electricity is rising faster than overall inflation as Americans prepare for potentially record-breaking heat this summer. Combined, the cost of household utilities rose nearly five times faster than inflation overall during Trump’s first year back in office. Household electric bills went up 13% nationwide, while household natural gas bills went up 12%.
- 84% OF AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT RISING ELECTRIC BILLS. Nearly eight in 10 Americans saw their electricity and heating bills go up during Trump’s first year back in office. Americans are more worried about energy costs than at any point in nearly two decades, with the vast majority (84%) concerned about the cost of electricity.
- EXPENSIVE JET FUEL IS HIKING AIRFARES. Airfares are up 20% year-over-year as jet fuel prices have soared thanks to Trump’s war in Iran. High jet fuel costs have pushed cash-strapped budget airlines to the brink – and even sent Spirit Airlines out of business, which will send airfares even higher long-term as larger airlines face less competition for cheap seats.
- TRUMP KILLED CLEAN ENERGY FUNDING, RAISING COSTS. Last July, Trump and Republicans passed a massive tax cut for billionaires, funded in part by ripping away funding for clean energy and raising household energy prices by some $170 annually over the next decade. Since then, the Trump administration has worked tirelessly to kill clean energy projects through executive actions. The Trump Interior Department, Energy Department, and USDA have all worked in lock-step to halt grants, stall massive projects, end infrastructure upgrades, and kill solar farms and offshore wind farms across the country. According to Climate Power, Trump has killed or threatened $61.4 billion in energy investments after cancelling, delaying, and forcing layoffs at 365 energy-related projects powering nearly 180,000 jobs as of April 2026.
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