Trump Faces Growing Republican Criticism Over Iran War, High Fuel Prices as Party Rifts Widen

Criticism of President Donald Trump is spreading within the Republican Party ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, with divisions widening over the Iran war and soaring fuel prices.

Bloomberg reported on Sept. 22 that Republican lawmakers are increasingly pressing for a swift end to the war with Iran and for measures to stabilize fuel prices. Some have also publicly broken with Trump by questioning the financial dealings of his family and objecting to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the U.S.

The shift marks a change for a party that had largely refrained from directly criticizing Trump. With about six weeks until the midterms, the cost of living has emerged as a major election issue after the Iran war drove sharp increases in gasoline and diesel prices and raised borrowing costs on mortgages, credit cards and other consumer debt.

Opposition to the Iran war is also intensifying. Republican Representative Ashley Hinson and Mike Rogers, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, urged Trump to bring the conflict to a quick end. “The war with Iran must end, and it must end quickly,” Rogers said.

Similar pressure is emerging in the Senate. Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who is preparing to retire, is poised to join Democrats in a vote this week on a resolution dealing with war powers over Iran. Republican Senator John Husted said he shares the view that the war should end, though he did not say whether he would support the resolution.

Lawmakers are also demanding steps to ease fuel costs. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan called for a ban on diesel exports. Hinson also urged a temporary halt to diesel exports and a suspension of the gasoline tax.

U.S. retail diesel prices rose above $6.50 a gallon for the first time. With farmers and the transportation industry facing mounting pressure, Trump said he had urged aides to review a possible diesel export ban. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, however, favor expanding supply rather than restricting exports.

Republican Senator Susan Collins called for a release from the Northeast home heating oil reserve to address a sharp jump in heating oil prices. In Maine, her home state, heating oil prices were up 74% from a year earlier as of last week.

Trump’s family has also come under criticism. Republican Senator John Curtis called for an investigation into allegations that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin helped support a wedding celebration for Donald Trump Jr. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator John Cornyn also agreed that an investigation is needed.

Trump’s plan to give Xi a lavish welcome during his U.S. visit this week also drew opposition. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker said that if the White House had asked for his advice, he would have urged it not to invite Xi to the U.S. and welcome him so extravagantly. He argued that Washington should instead focus on China’s military and human-rights issues.

Trump has maintained that he is not considering the election as he reviews a possible deal with Iran. Still, repeated public calls from Republican lawmakers for policy changes on the war and rising prices are exposing disagreements between the administration and its own party.