Democrats pounce on $4 a gallon gas, blame Trump's Iran war for 'broken promise'

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. topped $4 per gallon on Tuesday, according to national averages from AAA and GasBuddy, the highest level in four years.

The surge in gas prices comes amid the monthlong attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel. In response, Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing roughly 20% of the world's oil supply to a halt and sending global fuel prices sharply higher.

"When Operation Epic Fury is complete, gas prices will plummet back to the multiyear lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday.

Leavitt emphasized that "President Trump remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families."

The gas price surge is giving Democrats more political ammunition to target the GOP.

"BREAKING: National Gas Prices Skyrocket to $4 Per Gallon," read the headline from an email Tuesday morning from the Democratic National Committee.

The DCCC last week launched digital ads showing prices at the pump going up and an image saying "D.C. Republicans Did That!" Sources say to expect another round of ads on gas prices in the coming weeks.

As they fight to hold their slim majorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds, as the party in power in the nation's capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms. They also face a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump's underwater approval ratings.

A spotlight on inflation helped fuel sweeping victories by Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections, when they won back the White House and Senate and successfully defended their slim House majority.

A laser focus on affordability by Democrats has fueled a slew of victories and overperformances in 2025's off-year elections and in special elections in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House.

"Affordability is a huge issue," DelBene emphasized. "Folks are angry, they're upset, and they're struggling, and they need folks who are going to actually stand up and look out for them."

DelBene argued that "this is yet another broken promise from the President saying that he's going to lower costs on day one. That's been a broken promise... And he promised no forever wars, that he wouldn't get involved in a conflict like this."

But DelBene's counterpart at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) welcomes the fight over affordability.

NRCC's chair, Rep. Richard Hudson, in a Fox News Digital interview, pointed to tax cuts in the Working Families Tax Cuts, the name of the sweeping GOP domestic policy bill passed along party lines and signed into law by Trump last summer.

With the tax filing deadline quickly approaching, Hudson said, "Folks who work overtime, folks who work for tips, they're going to see a lot more money in their pocket thanks to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime."

"Our policies are making the American people more prosperous, and they're going to start feeling it more and more," Hudson emphasized. "And these are promises that President Trump made. These are promises that we've kept."

Fox News' Amanda Macias contributed to this report.