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US Politics

Democrats win Congress as Trump says gas prices and Iran war played a part

Trump says voters probably weren't willing to pay more for gasoline, and he says he will veto Democratic bills he calls insane.

Donald Trump in 2025
Donald Trump in 2025. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
15 news outlets reported this
Liberal4 outletsVoters rebuke Trump over gas prices and war costsCenter6 outletsTrump concedes the Iran war played a partConservative5 outletsTrump's reaction, and Republicans blaming the Iran war
Published 4 min readMoney and daily life
Overview

Democrats won control of both and the in Tuesday's elections. Fox News reports the party flipped at least seven Senate seats that Republicans held, along with more than two dozen House districts. In a phone interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said, "I don't think it's the war, I think it's the gas prices."

He said people agree with what he is doing on Iran but "probably weren't willing" to pay more for gasoline in the short term. Trump told The Journal that Iran "was a piece of it" and that he does not regret launching the war. He also said he was not on the ballot and does not like to consider the result a defeat.

He blamed some Republican candidates, congratulated Democrats and said they "did a good job." Trump said he expects to work with Democrats, but told Fox he would veto "insane" bills they send. Regular gasoline is about 36% higher than a year ago, or about $1 more per gallon, according to AAA's tracker on November 3.

Business Insider says fuel costs have climbed since February, when the US and Israel began airstrikes on Iran, and that Iran afterward targeted ships in the with mines and attacks.

Key figures
  • about 36% rise in regular gas prices versus a year ago, per AAA as cited by Business Insider — Business Insider
  • about 70% average rise in US diesel prices, per Business Insider — Business Insider
  • at least seven Republican-held Senate seats Democrats flipped, per Fox News — Fox News
  • more than two dozen House districts Democrats flipped, per Fox News — Fox News
  • $450 million Trump's own PAC money spent, per Just the News — Just the News

Three sides of the story

Liberal4 outlets

Voters rebuke Trump over gas prices and war costs

Business Insider frames Trump's remarks around fuel costs. Of voters unwilling to pay more for gas, he says "I understand that," but adds "I don't agree with it." He calls the costs a "short-term problem but for long-term gain."

The piece puts price data up top: regular gas about 36% above a year ago per AAA, Michigan up 52%, diesel up about 70% on average. It adds that Trump congratulated the Democrats' leaders in and said he would accept the outcome. It also reports that the White House expects oil prices to fall once the war ends, and cites the Wall Street Journal's report of unpublicized US strikes on Qeshm island.

PBS NewsHour's headline has Trump saying Democrats "did a good job" and blaming Republican candidates. PBS says voters delivered a "significant rebuke" by handing Democrats the Senate, while airing worries about high costs after the Iran war and his policy.

Center6 outlets

Trump concedes the Iran war played a part

Euronews takes its headline from Trump's words, "Democrats did a good job," and opens on his acknowledgment that fuel prices tied to the Iran war helped sink his party. In its account of the Fox News phone interview, Trump argues most voters support his Iran actions but would not accept the immediate bills. He calls the costs a passing problem that may pay off later.

Euronews notes a "surprisingly conciliatory tone" as he says Democrats "fought hard." The Wall Street Journal's headline has Democrats taking Congress while Trump says the Iran war is partly to blame for losses. Its item on the interview quotes Trump saying "Iran was a piece of it" and adds that he does not regret launching the war.

The Journal's briefing also mentions Iran turning to guerrilla tactics around the Strait of Hormuz and CVS Health deciding to split in two.

Conservative5 outlets

Trump's reaction, and Republicans blaming the Iran war

Fox News centers its report on Trump's veto threat: "They'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them." It pairs that with his words to Bret Baier, "I think a part of it was Iran." The report gives the seat flips and Trump saying some candidates he endorsed "fought me."

Just the News says Trump "concedes" the war and gas prices played a role and vows to work with Democrats. It counts 29 rallies and $450 million of his own PAC money, and quotes him: "I did the right thing." The Daily Wire quotes a national GOP operative saying "This is 100% because of Iran," and a White House official telling the outlet that candidate quality matters.

A Federalist column argues the defeat is "overwhelmingly President Donald Trump's fault," pointing mainly to the Iran war.

Money and daily life

For drivers, regular gasoline is about 36% higher than a year ago, roughly $1 more per gallon, according to AAA's tracker on November 3, as Business Insider reports. Business Insider says diesel has risen about 70% on average. It adds that the White House has said it expects oil prices to fall markedly once the Middle East war ends.

All sources: 20 articles from 15 outlets

Liberal (7)

Center (8)

Conservative (5)

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1 min
House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

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Wall Street

A street in New York where the stock exchange stands. In the news it means US financial markets and the big banks and investment firms as a whole.

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Strait of Hormuz

The narrow sea passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which tankers leave the Persian Gulf. About a fifth of the world's oil normally passes through it, so any threat there moves fuel prices worldwide.

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Congress

The US parliament: the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill becomes law when both pass it and the president signs it.

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A tax on imported goods, paid at the border by the importer, who usually passes some or all of it into prices. Governments use tariffs to protect their producers or to press the other side in a trade dispute.

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“Grand Old Party”: a nickname for the Republican Party, used since the 1870s. GOP and Republican mean the same thing.

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