The Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Friday, found that roughly 77 percent of registered US voters said Trump bears at least some responsibility for the rise in gas prices compared with 22 percent who disagreed.
The view that Trump is at least partially at fault was shared by voters across the political spectrum, with 55 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of independents and 95 percent of Democrats agreeing, the survey shows.
It could be a potential warning sign for Republicans ahead of the midterms, who are working to sharpen their messaging on affordability amid growing concern about potential voter backlash over the economy.
About one-third of survey takers said they preferred the GOP’s approach to the economy compared to 37 percent who signaled Democrats are better on the issue. The one-point advantage is considerably narrower than the 14-point gap the Republican Party had on the issue immediately after the start of Trump’s second term, according to Reuters.
Drivers are seeing some relief at the pump this week, however, with AAA reporting a national average of $4.03 per gallon. Oil prices remain elevated, with Brent crude trading at around $106 per barrel on Friday amid the sustained closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote in a blog post on Monday that markets were “likely to remain highly active” as the continued back-and-forth between US and Iranian officials reinforces volatility.
“Oil prices will likely continue to experience sharp swings as traders weigh the risk of escalation against the potential for a diplomatic resolution,” he wrote a day before Trump indefinitely extended a ceasefire in the conflict.
Trump and his Cabinet have offered mixed messages about the long-term impact on energy prices. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN on Sunday that gas prices may not drop back below $3 per gallon until next year, an assessment Trump said was “totally wrong” in a phone interview with The Hill on Monday.
Some 77 percent of Americans see fuel prices as a very big concern, according to the poll, which showed that respondents were more than twice as likely to expect an increase over the next year than a decrease.
The survey was conducted from April 15-20 among 4,557 US adults. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.