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

For millions of American households, the ongoing U.S. military conflict with Iran has moved far beyond the headlines — it's showing up in their gas tanks, grocery bills, and monthly budgets. A new poll reveals just how broadly the financial strain is being felt, and the people living it say the pressure is relentless.

An 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 Americans expect gas prices to climb even further over the next year, with another 15% expecting prices to stay at their current elevated levels.

The conflict has driven up the cost of oil by disrupting one of the world's most critical shipping routes. Iran's blockage of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's traded oil normally flows — has sent prices spiking and left American consumers absorbing the cost at the pump and beyond.

Everyday Americans Describe the Squeeze

The numbers in the poll are significant, but behind each data point is a family trying to make ends meet. Jacob Olson, 28, of Beebe, Arkansas, is one of them. After losing his job as a warehouse manager when his employer, a solar company, went bankrupt, Olson now makes custom wood products and sells them to customers across the area — which means he drives a lot, and pays for every mile of it.

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

With a one-year-old and a newborn at home, Olson said the financial pressure is compounding daily.

"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, of Lubbock, Texas, faces a different set of challenges. She doesn't own a car, so she depends on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft to get to work as a cleaner and to run basic errands. A single trip to the grocery store now costs her around $30. For someone on a limited income, that adds up fast.

"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. That trip, which used to cost her around $20 to $25 in gas, now runs close to $70.

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

How People Are Cutting Back

The poll shows that rising gas prices are forcing real changes in how Americans live their daily lives. More than 4 in 10 respondents — 44% — said they have cut back on how much they drive. A similar share, 42%, said they have reduced other household expenses. About a third said they have altered or canceled travel and vacation plans.

The burden falls heaviest on lower-income households. Among Americans earning less than $50,000 a year, more than half said they have cut back on driving and trimmed other spending just to keep up.

Jim Piper, 36, of Portage, Indiana, lives on a fixed income due to a disability. For people in his situation, there's no way to earn more to keep pace with rising costs.

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

Mixed Views on Leadership, Shared Pain on Prices

Not everyone who is struggling financially has turned against the president. Andy Breedlove, 51, from West Virginia, said he believes Trump is performing well in his second term — but also that gas prices are too high and will likely keep rising because of the war.

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

Others have been more pointed in their criticism. Olson questioned whether Americans have been given a clear picture of why the country went to war at all.

"He hasn't made a clear statement on why ... we're actually participating at all," Olson said. "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 poll also found that 61% of Americans believe the decision to go to war with Iran was a mistake. Trump's own messaging on gas prices has shifted over time. In early April, he suggested prices might hold steady or even rise before the midterm elections. Then on May 1, he said prices would come "tumbling down" once the conflict ends. Iran is currently reviewing a U.S. proposal aimed at winding down the war, according to a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry.

With midterm elections approaching and Democrats already seen as positioned to pick up seats, the economic pain felt by voters could carry significant weight at the ballot box. Trump has described a potential shift in congressional power as a serious threat to his presidency's agenda. For many Americans, though, the more immediate concern is whether they can afford to fill up their tank next week.