Despite a new poll indicating that most American voters blame him for soaring fuel costs, President Trump downplayed concerns about significant gasoline price increases resulting from the Iran war on Thursday.

When asked at the White House how long Americans should expect to endure high gas prices, Trump replied, "The prices aren't actually that high."

The President stated that current oil prices have not risen as much as anticipated from the conflict. He emphasized that the military action was intended to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability.

"Oil prices have come down substantially over the past three or four days," Trump noted. According to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), gasoline prices have increased by 49% since early 2026. Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire last week, the average price per gallon fell by 7 cents.

A national survey of registered voters released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday found that 65% of voters blame Trump "a great deal" or "somewhat" for recent gas price increases.

The same poll showed only 38% of voters approve of Trump's handling of the economy, matching his lowest-ever approval ratings from March and October 2025.

The survey included 1,028 self-identified registered voters with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

Gasoline prices have surged since the United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28.

AAA data shows that regular gasoline averaged just over $2.75 per gallon in early 2026, but by Thursday, the average had reached $4.093 per gallon.

Diesel prices, which were slightly above $3.50 per gallon in January, have now climbed to approximately $5.65 per gallon.

"The fact is, look, the stock market is up, everything's going well," Trump said Thursday. "And the number one thing we have to do is make sure Iran is not nuclear."

"Because if they go nuclear, that's a whole different ballgame, and everything else is going to be a problem," he added.