War With Iran Is Hitting American Wallets Hard — Here's What Families Are Dealing With

For millions of Americans, the ongoing U.S. war with Iran isn't just a foreign policy story — it's showing up at the gas pump, in the grocery aisle, and in household budgets that are already stretched thin. A new poll reveals just how widely those financial pressures have spread, and the people feeling them most are sharing what daily life looks like right now.

A joint ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 4 in 10 Americans say they are worse off financially than they were when President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they are actively falling behind. Half of all Americans surveyed expect gas prices to climb even higher over the next twelve months, while another 15% think prices will remain at their current elevated levels.

The poll surveyed Americans across income levels and political affiliations, painting a broad picture of financial stress tied directly to rising fuel costs — costs that economists link to disruptions in the global oil market caused by the war.

Why Are Gas Prices So High Right Now?

The short answer is geography and global trade. Iran responded to the U.S. military campaign by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway in the Middle East through which roughly 20% of the world's traded oil normally flows. When that shipping lane gets disrupted, oil supplies tighten, prices rise on global markets, and American consumers eventually feel it at the pump.

President Trump has sent mixed signals about what comes next. In early April, he acknowledged prices might hold steady or even increase before the upcoming midterm elections. Then on May 1, he told the public that gas prices would come "tumbling down" once the conflict with Iran was resolved. Iran is currently reviewing a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war, according to a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry.

Real People, Real Costs

The numbers in the poll come to life in the stories of ordinary Americans navigating these conditions every day. Jacob Olson, 28, from Beebe, Arkansas, lost his job as a warehouse manager after the solar company he worked for went bankrupt. He now runs a small self-employed business making custom wood projects and has to drive regularly to reach customers — which means fuel costs hit him directly.

"One day at a time," Olson said. "One foot in front of the other. ... That's about the way to sum it up."

With two children under the age of two, Olson said the financial pressure is constant and growing.

"I don't really do anything, you know, for leisure or luxury anymore," Olson said. "It's all kind of just getting the bills paid ... I have a 1-year-old, and I just had another baby about a month ago, so I've got two little ones, and every day it's getting harder."

Brenda Howard, 66, from Lubbock, Texas, doesn't own a car and depends on rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft to get to her job as a cleaner and to run basic errands. A single trip to the grocery store now costs her around $30 in rideshare fees — a price that has climbed alongside fuel costs that rideshare companies pass on to riders.

"This is not the way I thought my retirement was gonna turn out," Howard said. "I never dreamed that it would be a day-to-day struggle, sometimes hour to hour."

Martha Davis, 66, lives in Tool, Texas, and works as a caretaker for her disabled son. Medical appointments sometimes require her to drive as far as 60 miles from home — a trip that has become significantly more expensive.

"I used to get back and forth on like $20, $25, but now it's almost 70 bucks," Davis said.

How Are Americans Changing Their Habits?

The poll found that the financial pinch is causing measurable changes in how people live. More than 4 in 10 Americans — 44% — said they have cut back on how much they drive. Another 42% said they have reduced overall household spending, and 34% have altered or canceled travel and vacation plans.

Lower-income households are absorbing a disproportionate share of the pain. Among Americans earning less than $50,000 a year, more than half said they have already reduced driving and cut back on general household expenses.

Jim Piper, 36, of Portage, Indiana, lives on a fixed income due to a disability and said inflation is especially punishing in that situation.

"I got to pay more, even though I'm not making more," Piper said.

Andy Breedlove, 51, from West Virginia, also on disability and not currently working, said he believes gas prices are too high but tries to keep perspective by comparing them to other costs.

"But with the price of everything else, it kind of evens out a little," Breedlove said.

Breedlove added that he expects prices to keep rising as long as the war with Iran continues.

What Do Americans Think About the War Itself?

Beyond the economic toll, the poll found that a 61% majority of Americans believe the Trump administration's decision to go to war with Iran was a mistake. Several of those interviewed expressed frustration not just with the financial fallout but with the lack of clear communication from the White House.

"He hasn't made a clear statement on why ... we're actually participating at all," said Olson, the Arkansas woodworker. "From what I know, there's been a lot of just lying and, you know, not being transparent, and ... a big lack of professionalism, which I don't appreciate coming from the president."

Christopher Mosley, 43, a former Walmart employee from Fort Smith, Arkansas, described Trump as "reckless" on foreign policy.

The widespread financial frustration has potential consequences heading into the midterm elections. Democrats are already seen as positioned to make gains, and Trump has described a congressional power shift as a serious threat to his presidency. Whether voters ultimately hold the administration accountable for rising costs — or point blame elsewhere — may depend on whether conditions at the pump improve before Election Day.