For voters feeling the sting of rising gas prices, a trip to the gas pump is becoming a daily flashpoint as midterm elections loom.

President Donald Trump touted low gas prices during his February State of the Union address, saying they had fallen «below $2.30 a gallon in most states and in some places, $1.99.»

Now, an escalating conflict with Iran is sending prices sharply higher — particularly in battleground states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio. That surge is undercutting a central economic message that helped power Trump’s return to office and could reshape the political landscape as fuel costs rise in key states.

«I used to put $30 worth of gas in my car for the week — now it’s $45,» said Zafar, an Uber driver who typically fills up in Virginia, where gas prices are more than $1 higher than a year ago.

WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING THE FASTEST AS TRUMP’S IRAN DEADLINE LOOMS

«I have no choice — I have to support my family,» he said, adding that he can’t afford to cut back on driving despite rising gas prices.

Just weeks ago, the outlook looked very different.

The national average has climbed to $4.16 per gallon, up about 91 cents from a year ago, according to AAA, with prices rising across nearly every region.

West Coast drivers are seeing the highest costs, with prices reaching $5.93 per gallon in California and $5.39 in Washington. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, gas prices have surpassed $4 in several areas, including $4.29 in Washington, D.C., and $4.18 in Pennsylvania. 

Meanwhile, in the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $4.36 per gallon, while much of the region remains in the mid-$3 range. While Southern states remain comparatively cheaper, prices are climbing there as well, with Georgia at $3.73, Texas and Alabama at $3.84, and Florida higher at $4.18.

Oklahoma and Kansas have the lowest gas prices in the nation, at $3.34 and $3.39, respectively.

Beyond gasoline, other fuel costs are rising even faster. Diesel has climbed to $5.66, up about $1.15 over the past month. As a key fuel for freight, shipping and public transportation, it is especially sensitive to supply disruptions — and its rising cost can quickly ripple through the broader economy, pushing up prices on everything from groceries to goods.

DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB IN NY, VIRGINIA

That kind of pocketbook pressure is exactly what Democrats have been eager to exploit. Last fall, Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections, and it paid off.

In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that the Republican agenda was worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it.

That same playbook is now reemerging on a national scale, as rising fuel costs tied to the Iran war give Democrats a fresh opening to hammer Republicans on kitchen-table costs.

OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE

Campaigns are leaning in, tying higher fuel costs to Republican policies in ads, speeches and appearances across key battleground states.

In central Pennsylvania, Janelle Stelson, a Democrat challenging Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., campaigned Monday at a Mobil gas station where prices were $4.24 for regular unleaded and more than $6 for diesel. She argued Perry, a Trump ally, bears some responsibility for worsening the cost-of-living crisis, according to The Washington Post.

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Janelle Stelson is challenging incumbent Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a longtime Trump ally who is now having to defend rising gas prices driven by the conflict in Iran. (Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In Iowa, the left-leaning veterans group VoteVets is running a new $825,000 ad campaign backing state Rep. Joshua Turek’s Senate bid that highlights rising gas prices.

The message is also playing out in Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed, a liberal Democrat in a competitive Senate primary, is airing ads focused on rising gas prices. «You know why gas is so expensive? Donald Trump’s $200 billion war with Iran,» he says in one ad.

With prices rising, the cost of gas is quickly becoming a central political battleground — and a potential liability for Trump and his allies in the months leading up to the midterms.

El tránsito por el Puente de las Américas en Panamá estará limitado a vehículos que no superen las 10 toneladas, tras la evaluación realizada por una comisión interinstitucional de expertos luego de la explosión e incendio de tres camiones cisterna ocurridos el lunes.

La medida, anunciada por el Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP), busca garantizar la seguridad estructural de la vía mientras se desarrollan inspecciones técnicas más profundas sobre el estado del puente.

El incidente, registrado la tarde del lunes en las cercanías de uno de los pilares, provocó una explosión seguida de un incendio de gran magnitud, lo que obligó a las autoridades a cerrar completamente el paso vehicular por casi 24 horas.

Esta situación generó un fuerte impacto en la movilidad, afectando a más de 80 mil personas que diariamente utilizan esta infraestructura clave para entrar o salir de la provincia de Panamá hacia el interior del país.

Tras el siniestro, equipos del Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos, la Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) y el MOP acudieron al sitio para controlar las llamas y evaluar posibles daños.

Aunque en una primera inspección se indicó que la estructura no presentaba afectaciones visibles de gran magnitud, las autoridades optaron por aplicar un enfoque preventivo, restringiendo la carga vehicular mientras se completan pruebas técnicas más detalladas.

El ministro de Obras Públicas, José Luis Andrade, explicó que la decisión de limitar el tránsito responde a la necesidad de evitar sobrecargas en la estructura, mientras se monitorea su comportamiento en condiciones controladas.

En este sentido, detalló que el puente será sometido a mediciones topográficas, ensayos estructurales y análisis técnicos, con el objetivo de confirmar que no existen daños ocultos derivados de las altas temperaturas generadas por el incendio.

Como parte de estas medidas, el tránsito fue reabierto de forma parcial, permitiendo únicamente la circulación de vehículos livianos como sedanes, camionetas, microbuses y buses tipo coaster, mientras se mantiene la prohibición para camiones de carga, transporte pesado y buses de pasajeros conocidos como “diablo rojo”, identificados por ser antiguos autobuses escolares adaptados para el transporte público.

Este tipo de vehículos pesados deberá utilizar la ruta del puente Centenario para entrar o salir de la ciudad capital.

Solo los vehículos de emergencia tienen autorización para transitar sin restricciones adicionales en esta fase.

La restricción de peso a 10 toneladas no es menor, ya que el Puente de las Américas es una de las principales arterias de conexión entre la capital y el interior del país, utilizada tanto por transporte de carga como por miles de trabajadores y usuarios del sistema de transporte público. La limitación ha obligado a desviar parte del flujo vehicular hacia el Puente Centenario, generando congestión adicional en esa ruta alterna.

El MOP informó que el monitoreo del puente se mantendrá durante al menos siete días, periodo en el que se evaluará cómo responde la estructura ante las cargas permitidas. Posteriormente, se tomará una decisión sobre si se amplían, mantienen o ajustan las restricciones actuales, dependiendo de los resultados de los análisis técnicos.

En paralelo, la Autoridad del Canal de Panamá mantiene en marcha un proyecto de evaluación integral de la estructura del puente, que permitirá definir futuras intervenciones de mantenimiento o reparación. Este proceso forma parte de un plan más amplio para garantizar la operatividad y seguridad de esta infraestructura estratégica, que tiene más de seis décadas de funcionamiento.

El Puente de las Américas, una de las infraestructuras más emblemáticas de Panamá, fue inaugurado en 1962 como parte del sistema vial que conecta la capital con el interior del país a través del Canal de Panamá. La obra, construida por Estados Unidos, tiene una longitud aproximada de 1,654 metros y durante décadas fue el único paso terrestre sobre el canal.

Actualmente, junto con el Puente Centenario, constituye una de las dos principales vías de conexión para ingresar o salir de la ciudad de Panamá, soportando diariamente el tránsito de miles de vehículos particulares, transporte público y carga.

Ante la creciente demanda vehicular, el país avanza en la construcción de un cuarto puente sobre el Canal de Panamá, una megaobra paralela al Puente de las Américas cuyo costo supera los $1,500 millones.

Aunque el proyecto fue licitado en 2018, ha enfrentado retrasos en su ejecución, lo que ha extendido su cronograma. Las autoridades estiman que esta nueva infraestructura, clave para mejorar la conectividad y reducir la congestión, estaría lista para el año 2028, tras una serie de ajustes técnicos y financieros que han impactado su desarrollo.

Despite efforts to shift evangelical Christian support away from Israel, some of the most influential leaders say the community has stood firmly by the Jewish state since the start of the joint U.S.-Israel operation against Iran.

As Wednesday’s ceasefire took effect, Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a close evangelical ally of President Donald Trump, reflected on the war. Evans flew to Israel on Feb. 26 as tensions escalated ahead of the operation.

During his visit, Evans toured impact sites caused by enemy missiles, met wounded civilians and Holocaust survivors, and provided $50,000 in financial assistance to a bereaved family.

«I knew the war would start, so I flew to the area. I have been in 41 wars. I go there intentionally when people are hurting to help them,» Evans told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN ‘VERY HARD’ AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY ’90 PERCENT’ OF REGIME MISSILES

On March 1, an Iranian missile struck the city of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, killing nine people. Evans arrived at the scene with first responders shortly after the strike. He later visited Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital, where he met Pnina Cohen, who was injured and lost both her husband and mother-in-law in the attack.

«I have been doing this for half a century. This is my life—combating antisemitism and helping the Jewish people,» Evans said. 

Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign [named Roaring Lion in Israel], began on Feb. 28, with the stated goal of «obliterating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity,» weakening its military infrastructure and preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a White House briefing. The first day of the operation was marked by the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

AMERICAN WHO FLED IRAN SAYS CITIZENS ‘DESPERATE’ FOR FREEDOM, PRAYING FOR ISLAMIC REGIME TO FALL

Leading Evangelical figures urge President Trump to continue backing Israel. (Graham; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, Mike Evans;Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

According to Israel’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday, since the beginning of the war, 7,183 people have been evacuated to hospitals, of whom 118 are currently hospitalized.

Evans described the U.S.-Israel partnership as unprecedented. «No one could have imagined an American president partnering so closely with Israel against radical Islam,» he said, calling the campaign «historic.»

He said evangelical support for Israel is rooted in religious belief. «The Bible is a Jewish book, and evangelicals believe in a Jewish person, Jesus,» he said. «They see Israel as the biblical land and believe God keeps his promises.»

The Evangelical Christian community, which numbers about 52 million people in the United States, supported Trump’s presidency on the condition that he would back Israel, Evans said.

Beyond political backing, Evans said evangelicals are active online. «We’ve had 127 million views on social media in the last eight weeks,» he said. «We are fighting misinformation and antisemitism because lies can cost lives.»

He emphasized that support is also practical. «We don’t just offer prayers — we provide financial help to those who lost homes and possessions.»

President Donald Trump bids farewell to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the White House after a meeting on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Evans acknowledged that a portion of younger evangelicals has shifted away from traditional support for Israel. «A segment has been influenced by universities and online voices,» he said, estimating that about 22% to 23% have shifted. «We are working to reach them and I believe we can.»

American Pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of the Christian Zionist organization Christians United for Israel, told Fox News Digital that the evangelical community supports Trump’s decision to seek the end of Iran’s menacing and murderous behavior.

AIRMAN RESCUE SHOWS U.S. CAN PENETRATE ENEMY TERRITORY ‘ANYWHERE’ IN IRAN, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS

«We will be backing his request to Congress to fund this effort, and we will ensure our elected officials represent the will and morality of the American people by seeing this righteous endeavor to its righteous end,» he said. 

Hagee said that «as Americans, we have a right to defend ourselves against the Islamic Republic’s half-century of terror. As Christians, we are mandated to defend ourselves against evil, to stand with the oppressed against the same, and to stand with the Children of Israel at all times.» 

People take shelter as Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the US-Israeli attacks. ( Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«Evangelical Christians who’ve been raised in the church and are biblically literate are Christian Zionists,» he said.

«The rise of antisemitism on the ‘woke right’ is not a product of evangelical churches, but rather a product of the false doctrine of Replacement Theology, repurposed and used as clickbait,» he continued. 

Any pastor or priest, politician or podcaster, who charges that the modern Children of Israel are anything other than the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the beneficiaries of God’s unbreakable Covenant with Israel, Hagee said, is not preaching the word of God.

«Operation Epic Fury is making the world a safer and better place for all its inhabitants; stay the course, Mr. President,» he said.

An Israeli fighter jet takes off for strikes in Tehran. (IDF)

Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, an international, evangelical Christian disaster relief organization, said that Iran has vowed to wipe the State of Israel off the face of the earth, and with nuclear weapons, they could. 

«If President Trump had not stopped them, this is something this fanatical Islamic regime might have done within the next few months,» he said. 

«My message to the American people would be to remember Israel is the only truly democratic nation in the Middle East — the only one. And they have been our nation’s closest ally in the region. I urge Americans to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ as the Bible instructs us,» he continued.

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Graham said Trump stood with Israel in a way no other American president did in the past.  

«We’ve never had a president like President Trump in my lifetime. If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it. He warned Iran that if it continued to develop nuclear weapons, the U.S. would intervene, and that’s exactly what he did.»