Former Vice President Kamala Harris this week sharply criticized President Donald Trump over soaring gas prices tied to the U.S. war with Iran.
In a social media post Wednesday, Harris argued that rising prices at the pump were the result of Trump’s decision to launch military strikes against Iran.
“Here in North Carolina and around the country, gas prices are too high,” Harris wrote. “This is a direct result of Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran, and the American people are paying the price.”
The post included a video of Harris speaking outside a North Carolina gas station, framed by a roadside fuel-price sign like a political weather vane spinning in a storm of inflation.
“We’ve got a president who is paying more attention to what he thinks is in his best political interests and personal interests, as opposed to what is in the best interest of working people in America,” Harris said.
Average gasoline prices have climbed above $4 per gallon after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28. The conflict escalated for weeks, weakening Iran’s military and resulting in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.
Iran responded by attacking energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf and disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow corridor that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. The resulting squeeze sent global fuel prices surging, pushing U.S. gas prices to their highest level in four years.
Harris’ criticism has also drawn attention to remarks she made in 2022, when gas prices spiked during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in Bucharest, Romania, Harris defended the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine despite rising prices.
“There is a price to pay for democracy,” Harris said at the time. “Got to stand with your friends.”
Republicans then blamed the Biden administration for inflation and high gas prices, while Democrats pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and promoted the phrase “Putin Price Hike.”
Now, with affordability once again emerging as a central election issue, Democrats are seeking to turn the political spotlight back onto Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.
