Why high gas prices are not a ‘small price to pay’ as Trump says

President Donald Trump says high gas prices are a “small price to pay” for the ongoing war on Iran.

The comments came as the average price of gas on Friday, Sept. 18 was $4.46, according to AAA. That's up from an average of $4.29 one week ago on Sept. 11, and an average of $3.20 on Sept. 18, 2025.

But Trump dismissed concerns about high gas prices at a Sept. 16 rally in Gastonia, North Carolina.

“It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done. Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more,” he said. “But that’s going to come tumbling down.”

A Gallup poll in June 2026 showed many voters disagree with the president. The poll showed 67% of its respondents said gas price increases have caused a financial hardship for them.

With that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team took a look at why high prices are hitting Americans hard in the pockets.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans were spending an average of $13,318, or $1,110 per month, which was 17% of their overall expenditures, on transportation at the end of 2024.

At the beginning…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/