Many Americans are cutting back on everyday expenses as gas prices soar due to President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, now approaching the 10-week mark. About 44 percent of Americans said they’re driving less due to high gas prices, while 42 percent said they’ve slashed household expenses, according to a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll. In addition, the poll revealed that 34 percent have altered travel or vacation plans. Americans are changing their behaviors as national average gas prices hit $4.43 per gallon Saturday, according to the AAA motor club. This time last year, the national average was just $3.15 per gallon. Patrick de Haan, a petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, said Saturday’s average price marked a sobering new record. “The national average price of gasoline has never been higher on the second day in May than it is today,” he wrote on X.

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[–] 79 points 4 months ago (9 children)

And yet they would still vote for the orange turd

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  • [–] 13 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    His oppoment had a funny laugh, and it was enough for some enlightened people to sit it out.

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    [–] 71 points 4 months ago (16 children)

    You know I didn't think too much about the daily expense of gas since we drive relatively fuel efficient cars, but I looked up the mpg for some of the trucks and stuff near me and... How the fuck do people commute with mpgs as low as 12, sometimes?

    Like, you shouldn't commute over an hour anyway, but at 60 miles one way, some cars burn 5 fucking gallons. This has gotta be wrecking his truck driving supporters.

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  • [–] 33 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (7 children)

    A couple of years ago I got to see a guy shoehorn his personal Ford F650 into a Starbucks parking lot. He was so proud of his massive waste of resources that he used daily for commuting and errands. It was utterly sickening with how much he was excited to talk about how much he was wasting to "stick it to those horrible environmentalists".

    The Ford F650 is generally reported to get about 6.75 mpg. Gas prices up? Fuck that asshole. He deserves it.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Well, the climate activists and net-zero army should be really excited now that gas prices are getting higher. No one would be able to afford it and we would get the zero-emissions goals they truly crave.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Gas will have to be high for a long time to make a difference with EVs here, especially with the huge level of protectionism. Since legacy automakers pretty much gave up on EVs and most new technology companies are blocked, pretty much all we have are Tesla and Hyundai/Kia. Hopefully Rivian can make it over the humo of mass production but you can’t really call them more than a niche so far

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    [–] 35 points 4 months ago (19 children)

    how many of those plan to vote the same?

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  • [–] 35 points 4 months ago (15 children)

    Probably depends on the opposition. If the dems run on "we're going to end the Iran war day 1 and remove the tariffs on chinese EVs, batteries, and solar panels so gas prices go down", there's a decent chance the people activated by gas prices switch.

    If the dems run on "we're going to carry out the war more competently and start a comittee to investigate a study of potential market-based means-tested tax-credits for small business owners who drive American trucks between 3 and 8 years old", they're certainly going to vote Trump again.

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  • [–] 47 points 4 months ago* (14 children)

    I love that the president is a rapist, 34 count felon fraudster, collaborated with Russian spies to win in 2016, lied about the Mueller report and mocked Mueller's death, mocked McCain's war experience, completely caused the farm bailout, staged an insurrection, pardoned the insurrectionists, tried the false electors scheme, mocked the mentally ill on a debate stage, paid off a pornstar to not talk about him paying to fuck her while Melania was caring for their newborn, ran a scam college, is taking bribes for pardons, is accepting unreported international money into his crypto scam company, bankrupted casinos, was best friends and had wonderful secrets with one of the most prolific sex traffickers and pedophiles in US history and has been covering up the Epstein files

    BUT FUCKING GAS PRICES ARE WHAT IS CHANGING REPUBLICANS MINDS.

    After they re-elected the dumb motherfucker based on blatant lies about crime rates and a complete misunderstanding of Biden handling of the COVID era economy.

    Everyone's dumb as shit and we are fucked

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  • [–] 16 points 4 months ago

    mocked Mueller’s death

    Fuck Mueller, lifelong republican getting mocked by the guy he saved is the way that piece of shit should be remembered.

    mocked McCain’s war experience

    Fuck John McCain. The NVA had to race to capture his team before they were lynched by the families of the villagers they'd just murdered.

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  • [–] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    They are in a cult. They never hear about most of the news that goes on every day, and what they do get is 100% approved by the republican censors. Maybe they get a dose or two on holidays when they're forced to interact with the family Democrat, but other than that they are in a well-insulated information bubble that hardly ever breaks. That's why they took over the radio stations and have their own ecosystem of news networks. The reason gas is the tipping point is because for a lot of people it's the first visible sign that something is really wrong.

    EDIT: also for what it's worth, it's not just idiots. Smart people get taken in by cults all the time and if you think you're too smart to fall for a cult you're a mark. You also do yourself a disservice if you think every Republican voting against their own interest is just a stupid yokel. They are victims of a vast and well-orchestrated information attack, and many of them don't have the tools to defend themselves because no one ever taught them any. I had to learn about a lot of them myself, and even still I got lucky by being able to go to college and meet the right people to help me escape. Not everyone gets those opportunities. That doesn't make them stupid.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    BUT FUCKING GAS PRICES ARE WHAT MIGHT BE CHANGING REPUBLICANS MINDS.

    It's not even clear that they'll change their mind. There is a possibility, but if the dems dare to show with a less than perfect strategy and there's a single point that could be considered slightly unperfect, they will vote rep again.

    Oh, or if pedohitler manipulates the market again and the gas prices dip slightly for 2 days before the elections.

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    [–] 30 points 4 months ago (18 children)

    Not cutting out driving?

    I had to deal with an office in the US recently. Still meeting together, still taking trips for "team building". All while complaining about the high cost of fuel to travel. The remote work for the most part, but the higher up you go in their corporate ladder, the more travel and luxury they afford themselves. And then ask all their lowest workers to join in too, on their own dime.

    Morons the lot of them.

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  • [–] 29 points 4 months ago (17 children)

    We can't cut out driving. American society is built around cars.

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  • [–] 13 points 4 months ago* (11 children)

    This is such a bullshit excuse, because while it's true, there is no reason why Americans haven't regulated cars to be more energy efficient, and why they haven't built better public transport since the 70's.
    On average European cars have about 30% better mileage than American cars, and almost all energy saving technologies were invented and implemented in either Japan or Europe.

    USA is a shitty country, first because they DEMAND these shitty huge cars with poor safety records, second because they DEMAND they are cheap to use, with no regard for climate change.

    Americans drive more, and they drive less fuel economic than other places in the world with better regulation.
    The net result is the average American pollute 2-3 times more than average for developed countries.

    USA is a country of selfish psychopaths (on average), that refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I'm not going to refute your overall assessment of Americans writ large (because I in large part agree.) I too wish we had better public transmit option. But what you're saying ignores 1) the vast increase in distances the American needs to travel, and 2) the average American car isn't less efficient, it's (to your point) much larger. The lower efficiency comes from the size, not technology.

    Maybe I'm biased because I'm in California (and not the shittier parts of the US), but I see California as every bit as responsible for automobile emission and safety laws as Europe or East Asia.

    Is the average American selfish? Undoubtedly. Did Europe/Japan invest in public transmit when America didn't? Also without a doubt. But I also think it's not quite so easy to paint with that brush if you take into account what makes America different than Europe/Japan.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 child)

    Sure they can. But they won't.

    I have seen the data: they tend not to group going to work with other errands, they tend not to car pool or even try other forms of commuting.

    In fairness, many companies forced workers to go back to offices so there is a lot of bullshit from money keeping them this way, which stops people from setting up social events locally or having the time (or energy) to do shopping after work.

    Most people drive a couple of times a day (!) trips less than 6 miles long, and of those errands, shopping, kids and church are 76% of all miles traveled.

    Also, there is no reason not to change, lots of US cities and groups are trying to redefine what cities and suburbs look like. But will the populace change?

    How many of those trips in a car are to the gym?

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  • [–] 24 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Shows you how absolutely broke most Americans are they can’t absorb an extra $50 or so per month.

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  • [–] 17 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    $97 at the pump yesterday. And that's with a normal sized gas tank. ninety seven!!)

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    [–] 16 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    I still don't even get how fast food places can stay in business.

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    [–] 15 points 4 months ago*

    Up to $50 a week from $38

    Fuuuuun times. 9th-gen Civic si. ~32mpg.

    What else have I cut to make up for this? Lmao. I haven't bought anything but used guns and metal since 2024. Brace for impact. It's gonna get bumpy.

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  • [–] 12 points 4 months ago

    As I am forced back into the office because downtowns and business are lazy assholes and didn't transition and figure out how to be better

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  • [–] 11 points 4 months ago

    You can't make a civilization run on cheap gas forever.

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  • [–] 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Oh poor Americans..who chose him.

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    [–] 10 points 4 months ago* (1 child)

    Idk... I kinda want the price of groceries to go down... 🤷 that might help me be able to save for an EV.

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    [–] 10 points 4 months ago

    Because of the inflation, the wife and I planned that we would do in state road trips for spring through fall because we really couldn't afford anything more fancy but with a Miata I thought that would be a fun compromise. Gas prices shut that all down. I thought how can I go even cheaper than that ? Ok this year is patio cookout and staycation. Sure, look at the price of food! That brings us back to inflation. This year is the year of laying low and eating poor. Puzzles are still cheap... Sigh.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago (13 children)

    I guess it takes gas hitting $5/gallon for people to start riding bikes around here. It's also strange how empty the gas stations are today.

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    [–] 9 points 4 months ago

    And huge chunks of them will still vote for whoever the GOP oozes out of the orphan crushing machine next.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago (26 children)

    Cutting the motor vehicles out entirely is such an insanely massive savings.

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    [–] 8 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    but 40% think he's doing a great job.

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    [–] 7 points 4 months ago

    Maga: Ya but do the blacks have it worse?

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago

    Guys this is temporary! It's just that my definition of temporary might be a bit longer than you like!

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