'I Was a Dumbass': Trump Voters Turn on President Over High Prices and Iran War Ahead of Midterms

A Florida woman who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 has called herself a 'dumbass' for backing him and said she will vote for Democrats in the 3 November midterms. She is one of several Trump voters who told MS NOW this week they had turned against him over prices and the war with Iran.

Penny Lee, 55, spoke to the network at a petrol station in Clewiston, Florida, on 28 September. Asked about her past support for Trump, she said: 'I was a dumbass.'

Lee said she was angry about petrol and food prices, and that truck drivers were paying almost $7 (£5.30) a gallon for diesel. She said she had retired from one company and gone back to work to cover her insurance and fuel costs.

She said she regretted her vote and believed many others did too. 'He tells you one thing and does just the opposite,' she said. Lee added that Democrats appeared to look out more for ordinary people.

How the Iran War Fed Into US Fuel Prices

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran then moved to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil shipments.

A two-week ceasefire was agreed on 7 April, but the conflict resumed in July, according to the Congressional Research Service. Talks on reopening the strait continued this week, with no deal announced by 1 October.

Regular petrol averaged about $2.93 (£2.22) a gallon in mid-February, before the war began, AAA figures show. On 2 October it stood at $4.40 (£3.33). Diesel averaged $6.37 (£4.82), after setting a record of $6.53 (£4.94) on 22 September.

Consumer prices rose 3.4% in the 12 months to August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Petrol was up 27.4% and groceries 2.2%. During the 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to bring petrol below $2 (£1.51) a gallon.

Other Trump Voters in Florida and Iowa Voice Regret

Another Clewiston voter, Greg Mizell, 72, said he had wanted a good economy and no wars when he voted for Trump in 2024. He said he now felt 'hoodwinked', and cited broken promises.

In Toledo, Iowa, registered Republican Denise Curtis told the network she was not pleased with the president. She cited rising petrol prices and what she sees as Trump's closeness to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Curtis said she is supporting Rob Sand, the Democratic candidate for governor.

What the Polls Show a Month Before the Midterms

An AP-NORC poll of 2,140 adults, conducted from 24 to 28 September, found that 17% approved of Trump's handling of the cost of living. Some 65% said his policies were more to blame for high prices than factors outside his control, and 69% said the war with Iran had not been worth fighting.

About six in 10 Republicans disapproved of his handling of living costs, up from about half in April, although 67% of Republicans said outside factors were more to blame for prices.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey carried out from 17 to 20 September put Trump's overall approval at 32%. Among Republicans it was 73%, down from 86% in January.

How Trump and the White House Have Responded

Trump told reporters on 27 September: 'Almost every price has come way down.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that the rise in petrol prices was temporary and would reverse once combat operations ended.

At a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, on 1 October, Trump repeated a pledge to send every every adult US citizen a $5,000 (£3,785) cheque if Republicans keep control of both chambers of Congress.

The House has voted three times since June to restrict Trump's war powers over Iran, most recently on 15 September, when seven Republicans joined Democrats in a 220-204 vote. None of the votes has halted the military campaign. Trump said this week the war would end soon, without giving details.

Republicans will contest every House seat and about a third of the Senate on 3 November, defending control of both chambers.