Thune: Iran Conflict Has ‘Trumped Everything Else’ in Midterms

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on Sept. 28 that the war with Iran has "trumped everything else" in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking on Fox News's "America's Newsroom," Thune framed the political landscape around affordability concerns—especially the rising cost of diesel and gasoline in Midwestern and rural states.

Why Thune highlights fuel and affordability

Thune named specific places where fuel price pain is acute: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and other Midwestern areas. He linked voters' focus on day-to-day costs to the Iran conflict, saying those economic pressures have displaced other campaign topics.

Polling and public opinion cited in the report

Multiple polls referenced in the article show broad public unease with the decision to launch the U.S. military campaign against Iran. An Economist–YouGov poll found 57 percent of respondents said the war was the wrong decision in hindsight, while 61 percent favored making a deal with Iran to end the war quickly. A Wall Street Journal poll cited in the same reporting showed 60 percent of respondents believed the administration's policies had made the economy worse.

Association reported regular gasoline at $4.47 per gallon on Sept. 28. Diesel hit $6.45 per gallon, after a recent peak at $6.52, marking historic highs. Global oil benchmarks moved higher that day: Brent crude rose to about $106 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate to about $93 per barrel. Those moves followed President Trump's rejection of an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks, a proposal that would have required the U.S. to lift a naval blockade and some sanctions.

Political responses inside and outside Congress

On the Senate floor, Democrats expressed concern about the human and economic cost of the conflict. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said the war was costing American lives and making it harder for families at home. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) criticized the administration for lacking a strategic goal, plan, timeline or exit strategy, saying the president was "stuck." The Senate narrowly voted against a war powers resolution that would have symbolically directed the president to end the conflict.

President Trump has suggested further military action is possible before the election and has tied a potential U.S. victory to falling oil prices, saying that once the U.S. "wins this war very soon," oil prices will drop to pre-war levels. He also rejected Iran's proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear talks.

Thune's assessment points to a midterm environment where immediate pocketbook issues—driven by higher fuel costs and linked to the Iran conflict—are foremost for many voters. The polling data in the piece suggests those concerns translate into broad disapproval of the administration's handling of the war and its economic consequences. Political maneuvering in the Senate, including the failed war powers measure, shows Congress is divided on how to respond.

According to Thune and the reporting cited, the Iran conflict has shifted voter attention toward affordability, especially fuel costs. That shift affects both public opinion of the administration's actions and the political dynamics heading into the 2026 midterm elections.