In Detroit, Michigan, the recent US Senate debate between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers highlighted a pivotal shift in campaign priorities. While traditional economic metrics were expected to dominate the discourse, the conversation was instead dictated by the ongoing US-Israel war in Iran. El-Sayed argued that domestic affordability is inseparable from foreign policy, stating that current fuel and grocery costs are direct consequences of the conflict. Taxes, or trade policy, it was not about interest rates. According to “Right now, the cost of gas, the cost of groceries, it all really goes back to this war in Iran,” the progressive Democrat, On Wednesday.
The Democratic strategy focuses on positioning the war as a primary driver of inflation. As El-Sayed asserted, the conflict lacks strategic justification, and he has advocated for a War Powers Resolution to limit President Trump’s authority in sustaining the eight-month engagement. The party is increasingly using this narrative to target Republican candidates who align themselves with the president’s foreign policy decisions. “We need a War Powers Resolution rather than a senator who wants to stand hip-to-hip with Donald Trump on this war that made no sense when it started and certainly makes no sense now.”.
Jonathan Guyer, programme director at the Institute for Global Affairs, notes that foreign policy has become a kitchen table issue due to its entanglement with the economy. A recent IGA survey indicates that 60 percent of potential voters disapprove of the administration’s handling of the war, with an overwhelming 81 percent acknowledging that the conflict has increased the cost of living for American households. “Voters don’t often rank foreign policy as their top issue, but I think it’s so interwoven with the economy right now that essentially foreign policy is the economy.”. An overwhelming majority of respondents – 81 percent – agreed that the conflict has raised the cost of living, more alarmingly for Republicans. Fuelling inflation at a time when affordability had become one of the key issues in US electoral politics, the increased cost of energy and transportation has trickled down to the entire economy. The position is echoed by other Republicans in tough House and Senate races. “I think it’s one of the greatest things we’ve done. Taken in August, put the number at 74 percent, the IGA survey. “It’s one of the best things that we’ve done, and it took a lot of courage to do it because no other president was willing to do it.”.
Energy markets experienced immediate volatility following the onset of US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28. Tehran’s disruption of energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz triggered a sharp rise in oil and gas prices. Data from the American Automobile Association shows that average petrol prices have surged from below $3 per gallon before the war to $4.27 by late October. Almost immediately after Israel and the US started attacking Iran on February 28, Tehran began disrupting the flow of energy products through the Strait of Hormuz – sending oil and gas prices skyrocketing. Average Americans feel that uptick firsthand almost daily at the gas pump. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of one gallon (3.8 litres) of petrol has gone from less than $3 before the war to more than $4.27 as of Thursday. According to but before the war, Trump himself had, Repeatedly that Iran’s nuclear programme had been “obliterated” by the June 2025 US strikes against the country’s uranium enrichment facilities. “You want to pay $8 [for] a gallon of gas, let Iran get a nuclear weapon.
The rise in fuel costs, particularly diesel—essential for nationwide shipping and heavy machinery—has exacerbated inflationary pressures across the supply chain. In the US, the price of diesel – which is used to power heavy machinery, including heavy trucks that ship consumer goods across the country – has reached record highs over the past weeks.
Despite these economic impacts, the Trump administration maintains that the military action is a historic success aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Trump emphasized that he is the only president to take such action, even though intelligence officials have testified to Congress that there is no current evidence of an active Iranian nuclear weapons program.
Within the Republican party, messaging remains mixed.
While Mike Rogers defended the conflict during the Michigan debate, claiming a withdrawal would risk regional control and lead to higher costs, he has simultaneously called for a swift end to hostilities in campaign advertisements. You lose control of that whole region,” he said.
Similar calls for an exit strategy have emerged from other Republican figures, such as Ohio’s Senator Jon Husted and Iowa’s Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, while Maine’s Senator Susan Collins has pointed to her support for various War Powers Resolutions.
Internal polling suggests waning enthusiasm among the Republican base. A Pew Research Center poll showed 63 percent approval for Trump’s handling of the war, while IGA data indicated that strong approval among Republicans dropped from 40 percent in April to 34 percent. Guyer suggests that while support remains, it lacks the conviction necessary to drive voter turnout or campaign involvement. “That could have implications if they actually show up to vote [and] if they are going to be involved in campaigning.”.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, speaking from a campaign event in Detroit, characterized the conflict as a potential death sentence for the American economy. He warned that if the war continues or reignites, diesel prices could climb further, stressing that voters face a clear choice: continue the conflict or seek lower energy costs by changing leadership. With the midterm elections less than two weeks away, Democrats are aggressively highlighting these economic strains to weaken the standing of Trump-backed candidates nationwide. “Well, diesel prices here in Detroit are already above $6 a gallon, and they’re going to go higher if this war restarts.
