DeSantis says Trump’s open-ended Iran conflict is driving up gas prices and creating serious political risks for Republicans

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Trump administration’s war with Iran has become an open-ended conflict that is directly hurting Americans through higher gasoline prices and weakening Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Speaking in an Election Eve interview with Stephen A. Smith, DeSantis said Trump had campaigned against another Middle East war but ultimately entered one, arguing that the political consequences would have been different if the conflict had ended quickly.

“Had that been wrapped up in like a week, like Venezuela was very quick, it probably wouldn’t have been an issue right now,” DeSantis said. “But what’s happened is it’s kind of an open-ended conflict, and it’s having a direct impact on people’s finances because they’re going to the gas pump.”

He criticized Republicans who have tried to minimize the impact of higher fuel prices or blame former President Joe Biden.

“No, no. Listen, we’ve just got to be honest. Gas is higher. It hurts people, working-class people, and it’s higher because of the Iran conflict,” DeSantis said. “If you can’t admit that to voters, then you’re gaslighting them.”

Gasoline prices have risen sharply since the conflict began. The national average was about $4.29 a gallon in late October, compared with $2.98 before the war, according to AP data.

DeSantis also said Trump had been warned the conflict could continue through the rest of his presidency and argued that such an outcome would seriously damage both the administration and the Republican Party.

“If it drags on for the rest of his presidency, it’s going to be devastating to his ability to get anything done, and it is going to be very, very difficult for Republicans in the next cycle,” he said.

He tied the war and higher energy prices to a broader loss of enthusiasm among Republican voters, saying Democrats were entering the election with greater momentum.

“Every time they go to the gas pump, they’re reminded that gas is higher,” DeSantis said. “A lot of people didn’t like the Iran conflict.”

DeSantis said Republican candidates were “running into the wind” because of fuel costs, broader inflation and frustration with Washington, while Democratic voters appeared more energized than they had been four years earlier.

He also reflected on his failed 2024 presidential primary campaign against Trump, saying Trump’s criminal indictments made the former president more popular with Republican voters and created a political obstacle he could not overcome.

“I just ran into a brick wall,” DeSantis said, recounting voters who told him they believed he might make a better president but still felt compelled to support Trump.

Despite his criticism, DeSantis said other Republicans should not try to imitate Trump’s political style.

“Only Trump can pull that off,” he said. “He is one of one.”