By Jeffrey A. Rendall
How much the Iran War steers election results could be broken down to a personal level
If you’ve ever wondered – and who hasn’t wondered – how much government policy costs you in practice, there was a financial report recently that purported to calculate how much the situation in Iran has impacted American households.
Let’s just say the report found it wasn’t pocket change jingling on the way to your piggybank.
There have been lots of scholarly treatments on each American’s share of the ever-growing national debt, but this was an example of how a specific policy – the so-called “war” in Iran — added to American’s daily money management burdens.
See what you think. In an article titled, “Iran War Has Reportedly Cost Each American Household $2,000”, Jillian Butler reported for the Daily Caller News Foundation (as published in the Star News Network):
“Mark Zandi, the chief economist of financial intelligence firm Moody’s Analytics calculated the past eight months of war cost the American household this amount by analyzing fuel costs, interest rates, and tax dollars allotted towards the military, according to his Tuesday post to X.
“Energy costs contribute to the vast majority of this sum. The total consumer burden of additional gas and diesel costs since the onset of the war has amounted to over $100 billion, per a study from Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab. The individual household bears $1,100 of these costs, according to Zandi’s calculations. In addition to car fuel, these costs also factor in home heating bills and the fuel of commercial vessels such as long-haul trucks and cargo planes.
“The Department of War’s costs of the Iran conflict amount to approximately $38 billion as of Aug, 1, per the Congressional Budget Office. This price tag is forecasted to increase $3 billion per month, Reuters reported in September. This amounts to the American taxpaying household paying an extra $360 per month to cover these costs, according to Zandi.”
Yes, people actually get paid to reach these conclusions, but the same deductions could just as readily be deduced by the average consumer, or at least the ones who fill their own gas tanks and stroll the aisles of their local grocery store to feed themselves and their families.
The “war” in Iran, if that’s how you choose to label it, isn’t nearly as unpopular – or simply not popular – as many in the establishment media would have you believe it is. It’s what’s happened to prices here in the United States that has Americans scapegoating the conflict in the Middle East, not the mission itself.
“Affordability” wouldn’t be as hot a topic as it is without Iran, put it that way.
Strictly in dispassionate terms, President Donald Trump’s focus on Iran and the military bombing campaign itself has been amazingly successful. By all appearances, Iran’s conventional military has been decimated, leaving the rogue Middle Eastern Islamic caliphate capable of inflicting little damage on its neighbors or enemies and basically confined to launching cheaper-than-cheap drone strikes and relying on pockets of latent terrorists to carry out its sinister whims.
The world is a safer place now than it was earlier this year. That should count for something.
Here’s guessing if you asked the average person on the street about what’s happened to Iran since earlier this year that the individual would convey little sympathy for the Iranian leaders (and probably the Iranian population itself) and possibly show pride at the U.S. military’s remarkable efficiency and lethality at a modest (again, in terms of wars historically) price in actual treasure expended and lives sacrificed.
Most right-thinking people are heartened by the fact that the United States finally did something about Iran after a half-century of dancing around the so-called elephant in the room (globe?), and the future outlook for peace in the Middle East appears promising.
These are good things. If the Iran “War” hadn’t had any detectable effect on the American homeland itself, the mission would be that much more popular. It’s a no-brainer. Americans are glad we’ve stomped on the hated Iranian mullahs as severely as we have. No regrets there.
But – there’s always a but, isn’t there? – the war hasn’t been clean. The somewhat predictable impacts from Trump’s decision to take on the Iranian regime earlier this year have been noticeable and widespread. If President Trump’s advisory team didn’t foresee that these issues would materialize if the Iranians were more dug-in than we estimated, they’re responsible for their lack of anticipatory prowess.
I recall driving south in late February when the rumors of “war” were just that – rumors. We’d successfully rooted out communist Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his equally guilty wife a mere month before. The success of the brief South America-based operation was hailed by conservatives, even if many still harbored doubts about President Trump’s commitment to keeping the country out of entangling foreign excursions.
Then came Iran. From memory, gas prices inflated about a buck a gallon in a week’s time. This fact alone flashed warning signs, but we were told – and have been regularly reminded ever since – that the Iran “war” would be over soon, that the Iranians couldn’t possibly hold out much longer, and that Iran’s nuclear capability was even deader than it was last year when the country’s weapons of mass destruction development facilities were bombed back to the proverbial stone age.
These were good things, too. The fact Iran’s invisible leadership structure has persisted and resisted any and all of Trump’s attempts to “make a deal” – and hence, save themselves – has not been a positive development for Republican candidates in this crucial federal midterm election year.
Whether, as the above referenced report indicated, each American household has been on the dole for a couple thousand extra bucks because of the war is a debatable point, but I don’t think there’s been anyone who hasn’t been affected by the economic force of the fighting. And for lots of people, the mission has made a big difference.
Anyone who deals with buying diesel fuel has seen their bills basically double in one year’s time. That’s nothing to sneeze at for the guy who has a diesel pickup parked in his driveway, but the farmer who powers his equipment with diesel and all those trucks you see on the highway – those increases are a sharp kick to the gut.
If you wonder why food prices have remained so high, simply remember that everything in that grocery store got there because it was carried on a diesel train locomotive or truck – or string of trucks – and the baseline price of transportation has mandated that wholesalers charge retailers more for their goods.
If President Trump’s economic spokespeople have been out front talking about how strong the economy is, they should’ve been more astute about the downside of what’s happened to average people, too. If Republicans get slaughtered in the upcoming election – and the results are not yet set in stone – this is absolutely the source of the angst.
As I’ve argued, it’s a hundred percent of the reason why Trump’s approval rate has dipped so low. It’s not that Americans don’t support the premise behind bombing Iran – as I said, I think they do – but they’re tired of the administration’s public relations people presenting such a one-sided picture of what’s happened to the United States in 2026.
There’s just no painting a smiley face on a shirt and verbalizing “Have a Nice Day!” and having people respond in a good way.
It’s understandable how President Trump and his support team desires credit for the many, many great things they’ve brought to the country, but their approach has ignored essential human nature. With only a couple weeks left until the votes are tallied by congressional district and state, not much can be done to alter the balance.
Since Trump prefers to do most of the talking himself, a presidential address from the Oval Office could help restore Americans’ confidence that they’re being heard and listened to rather than seeing the Republican president make another political rally pitch to a local constituency that may or may not be a difference-maker in that region.
As would be expected from them, Democrats are jumping all over the Iran War impacts without offering policies or solutions or answers themselves. Democrats are the ultimate political opportunists, and in a few short weeks, it will be too late to do anything to counteract them.
Most voters who participate are aware of the issues driving every election and most don’t expect politicians to be perfect, but they do demand that elected leaders understand their concerns and work towards passing laws and budgets that reflect their needs. The Iran “War” has been felt up and down American society. Will Republicans survive the political ramifications?
Jeff Rendall is editor and publisher of GolfintheUSA.com and has written about golf and politics for over a quarter of a century. A non-practicing attorney from California, he moved to the east coast three decades ago to pursue and combine his interests in all things American history and culture. Jeff has worked as an intern on Capitol Hill and in various capacities in grassroots organizing and conservative organizations and publications, including a nearly two-decade stint at ConservativeHQ.com. Column republishing or other inquiries: Rendall@msn.com .