Trump take vacation

Various lobbyists and members of the administration are trying to convey to Trump that the exploding fuel prices being created by a war the vast majority of American voters have never wanted and which he’s never bothered to even make a case for might be a problem in appealing to the Eggs Too Exponsive voters who were critical to his re-election:

Sununu, a Republican who represents some of the biggest airlines as the president of the industry group Airlines for America, has for weeks sounded the alarm to Trump administration officials about the economic fallout from high jet-fuel prices. The war, Sununu has argued, must come to a close soon, or things will get worse.

Administration officials have gotten the message.

Privately, President Trump’s advisers are increasingly worried that Republicans will pay a political price for the rising fuel costs, according to people familiar with the matter. Many of those advisers are eager to end the war in hopes that prices will begin moderating before November’s midterm elections.

The fallout from the U.S.-Israeli attack in late February has slowed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane, triggering a sharp increase in oil, gasoline and jet-fuel prices. That means consumers are grappling with high costs ahead of the summer travel season, as they consider vacation plans.

Sixty-three percent of Americans said they put a great deal or a good amount of blame on Trump for the increase in gas prices, according to a new poll conducted by NPR, PBS and Marist. More than 8 in 10 Americans said struggles at the gas pump are putting a strain on their finances.

Without getting too far into the “vibecession” debate it’s true that the level of polarization in the American system means that the objective quality of the economy matters less to the electorate than it used to. But the experience of incumbents at home and abroad during post-COVID inflation suggests that high nominal prices for everyday goods are an exception. Marginal Trump voters were always going to experience some disappointment when 2019 prices didn’t come back, but for him to go out of his way to produce crushingly high gas prices is another matter, Anyway, if you’re planning to fly this summer get those tickets ASAP if you can still afford them.