So much for affordability: Trump’s war with Iran exposes the deceit of ‘America First’

President Trump dedicated much of his State of the Union address last week to burnishing his credentials as the peacemaking president who made America affordable again. The era of rising inflation was “over,” he claimed, a feat he had allegedly achieved in-between ending eight wars and lowering the price of gas.

Then Trump launched a war against Iran that undid those boastful claims in just a few short days.

Gasoline prices on Tuesday passed $3 per gallon, a level considered by political analysts to be the point at which most Americans start griping. Crude oil futures have spiked by more than 13 percent since the beginning of March, signaling even more price shocks in store for commuters.

Trump’s new war threatens to jolt not just gas prices but prices for every product in the petroleum supply chain. That’s a lot of stuff that most households use on a daily basis. Most Americans tend to overlook foreign policy when the domestic economy is struggling, but a foreign war that raises prices at home is a different beast entirely. For the millions of people struggling to make ends meet, Trump’s war just became another front in Republicans’ cost-of-living crisis.

Polls show that most voters, including those who supported Trump in 2024, see skyrocketing prices as the top issue sending them to the polls in November. They also place the blame squarely on Trump and the Republicans for failing to address the problem. Democrats must seize the moment — and the message — by fostering a national conversation about how Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran is one more way Republicans are making life worse for the Americans he promised to help.

Shrewder Democrats already understand that affordability is the framing through which every issue needs to be communicated to the nation’s frustrated voters. On Monday, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego set the pace for the rest of the party when he told MS NOW anchor Chris Hayes, “This administration is cutting Medicaid to pay for bombs.” It’s a winning approach the entire party should embrace.

“Americans don’t want another war, let alone another drawn-out, costly war. They want lower costs at home and no more distractions,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the top-ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. But if Democrats really want to have an impact, they will need to draw bright lines between the cost of bombs and fighter jets and the things their voters are lacking here at home.

The Affordable Care Act’s popular health insurance subsidy expired at the end of last year after Republican lawmakers balked at its estimated $100 billion annual operating cost. As a result, most people enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans saw their health insurance premiums spike more than 114 percent, leading many to drop their health care coverage entirely.  

Yet Trump’s attack on Iran burned through nearly $1 billion in its first 24 hours, with related costs expected to skyrocket as the Pentagon doubles down on missile and drone strikes. Kent Smetters, the director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, predicts that total costs for a sustained Iranian conflict could reach as high as $95 billion — nearly enough to cover all 22 million Affordable Care Act subsidy users now facing higher costs. 

Given a choice between launching an unnecessary war and spending money to actually improve the lives of Americans, Trump and his Republican enablers chose bombs. Far from unifying his base, Trump’s America Last approach has kicked off a wave of criticism from some of the country’s most influential MAGA influencers, from Tucker Carlson to allies of the late Charlie Kirk. Even neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes is now urging his followers to vote against Republicans in November.

Democrats must follow Gallego’s lead in turning an abstract, purposeless foreign war into a clearly defined kitchen table issue that resonates with voters across the political spectrum. Affordability is the key to that conversation, and it’s how Democrats will unlock voter anger in the run-up to this year’s consequential midterms.  

Trump’s long-time political allies are right — he has betrayed the people he swore to help by launching a war that will only make life harder for the millions of people struggling to get by in an already brutal economy. Democrats will need to ensure that message rings in voters’ ears from now until Election Day.

Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More Opinions - Campaign News

Talarico beats Crockett in Texas Democratic Senate primary

Ted Cruz, Tim Scott asking Treasury to approve $200B tax cut without ...

Noem’s spending review has held up more than 1,000 FEMA contracts, grants and ...

Canadian PM Carney says US and Israel’s strikes on Iran mark ‘failure of ...

Talarico beats Crockett in Texas as GOP heads to runoff: Key takeaways

Live results: Crockett, Talarico seek Democratic nod in Texas Senate race

‘Breathtaking’: Independent senator deplores Rubio’s explanation for Iran ...

GOP state lawmakers urge White House to halt efforts to block state AI laws

Noem fends off attacks from left and right in heated hearing: 5 takeaways

Democrat mocks Mullin for remarks on ‘smell’ and ‘taste’ of ...

Live updates: Cornyn, Paxton move to runoff; Texas Supreme Court order ...

John Bolton says Hegseth needs ‘attitude adjustment’ after Iran briefing

Speaker Johnson pushes against war powers resolution: ‘Frightening’

Holladay wins Arkansas special election in key Democratic pickup

Noem faces GOP heat over $220M ad that boosted ‘your name recognition’

The new SNAP food restrictions aren’t just confusing — they’re illegal

Talarico prevails as Trump looms over Texas Senate GOP runoff

US orders evacuations across Middle East, halts operations at 3 embassies

The Hill Podcasts – Morning Report

© The Hill