¶ Overview
- Harding supported Trump’s war in Iran and “peace through strength” approach to foreign policy.
- Trump’s strike caused an overnight 16 cent spike in gas prices in Nebraska, with prices continuing to rise 29.1% through late April 2026. Diesel and fertilizer prices rose nearly 50% in that time. Higher prices impacted gas for schools and sheriffs, hurt Nebraska farmers, and contributed to turmoil experienced by rural economies that were drifting into recessions.
- Trump’s war in Iran was projected to cost Americans an extra estimated $235 to fill up their car with gas, and rising fuel costs caused corporations to begin passing fuel surcharges onto American consumers. Americans were also primarily concerned with how the war would impact their wallet, with a Ipsos poll finding that 56 percent of Americas expected Trump’s war in Iran to have a “mostly negative impact” on their personal financial situation.
¶ Harding Endorsed Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” Approach To Foreign Policy That Made Gas Prices Spike For Nebraskans
¶ Harding Supported Trump’s War In Iran
Harding Reposted The White House’s Video Of Trump’s Speech About Initiating Conflict In Iran And Said, “May God Bless America And Freedom Loving People In Iran And Around The Globe.” According to Brinker Harding’s Twitter, “Today, U.S. forces began operations to ensure Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Rebecca and I continue to pray for our brave servicemen and women in harm’s way. May God bless America and freedom loving people in Iran and around the globe.” [Twitter, @BrinkerHarding, 2/28/26]
Harding Endorsed The War In Iran, Saying “Only The Radical Left Would Think Killing America’s Number One Enemy Is A Bad Thing.” According to Brinker Harding’s Twitter, “For the past 47 years, we let a radical theocratic state play us and the world like a yo-yo. The Iranian regime funded terror around the world and subjected their people to horrendous conditions. I hope the Iranian people can experience the freedom they deserve, and peace will finally come to the Middle East. Only the radical left would think killing America’s number one enemy is a bad thing. I’m disappointed that my far-left opponent @JCavNE02 has a problem with the downfall of Iran’s terrorist regime. Then again, he is endorsed by The Squad.” [Twitter, @BrinkerHarding, 2/28/26]
¶ Harding Campaigned On Supporting “Peace Through Strength” In Congress And Said Trump’s Policy Was What “We Need To Get Behind”
Harding’s “Secure America” Campaign Pillar Relied On Restoring “Peace Through Strength.” According to Brinker Harding for Congress, “Under the Biden Administration, America suffered under weak leadership that made us less safe. […] In Congress, I will fight to keep our border secure, deport criminal illegal immigrants, rebuild our military to restore peace through strength, hold criminals accountable, and stand with law enforcement to keep our communities safe.” [Brinker Harding for Congress, viewed 5/11/26]
September 2025: Harding Called Peace Through Strength And Trump’s Strategy “The Policy We Need To Get Behind.” According to Brinker Harding responding on Instagram to a Bill Maher clip, “HARDING: He’s right. Nobody likes war. It’s not a Republican issue It’s not a Democrat issue. But with peace through strength, we have seen the results through the Trump administration ending conflicts around the world. That’s what matters. And that’s the policy we need to get behind.” [Instagram, @brinkerharding, 9/17/25] (video)
January 2026: Harding Praised The Trump Administration’s “Focus On Peace Abroad” For Low Gas Prices And Economic Growth. According to a Brinker Harding opinion in Omaha World-Herald, “Thanks to this administration's focus on peace abroad and energy production at home, gas prices have fallen from a record high $5.11 per gallon under Biden to $2.85 per gallon today. With lower taxes, cooling inflation, falling interest rates, and declining energy prices, America's economy is growing at its fastest rate in two years, raising wages and creating jobs in the process.” [Brinker Harding Op-Ed – Omaha World-Herald, 1/23/26]
July 2025: Harding Said People Voted For Trump Because They Wanted “Peace Through Strength.” According to Brinker Harding’s Instagram, “People didn’t vote for Trump because they are conspiracy theorists—they voted for a secure border, lower cost of living, and peace through strength.” [Instagram, @brinkerharding, 7/15/25] (video)
¶ Trump’s War In Iran and “Peace Through Strength” Approach To Foreign Policy Made Life Less Affordable For Nebraskans
¶ The Iran Conflict Significantly Raised Gas Prices In Nebraska
Within Days, The Initial Iran Strike Caused A 16 Cent Increase In Gas Prices In Nebraska. According to Nebraska Public Media, “Gas prices in Nebraska have increased sharply over the past few days after the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran over the weekend. According to AAA, the average price in Nebraska of a gallon of unleaded gasoline was nearly $2.88 as of Tuesday morning. That price was 16 cents higher than Monday and nearly 25 cents higher than it was a week ago.” [Nebraska Public Media, 3/3/26]
As Of 4/22/26, Gas Prices In Nebraska Had Risen 29.1% Since The Start Of The Iran War, Costing Car Drivers On Average Nearly $30 More A Month.
[Center for American Progress, State-By-State Increases In Gas Prices Since Trump’s War on Iran, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: Iran Conflict Raises Gas Prices Across Nebraska. [KFAB, 3/9/26]
HEADLINE: ‘That’s Gonna Hurt’: Gas Prices Spike In Nebraska, Nationally As US Goes To War With Iran. [KOLN, 3/3/26]
¶ Increased Prices Negatively Impacted Local Governments, School Districts, And Farmers In Nebraska
Nebraska Fuel Price Spikes Posed a Challenge To Local Governments And School Districts In Nebraska. According to KOLN, "Wednesday’s average gas price in Nebraska hit $3.84 — up more than 80 cents from this time a year ago, with diesel costing about $1 more. For local governments and school districts that use thousands of gallons of fuel a week, it becomes a big challenge. […] ‘Whether you’re the sheriff or the assessor, whoever you are doing work in the county, you come here to get your gas,’ Dingman said. ‘And so those costs are passed on to the agencies and they’re definitely increasing.’" [KOLN, 4/29/26]
HEADLINE: Already Struggling, Nebraska Farmers Face War-Fueled Cost Spikes. [Nebraska Public Media, 3/12/26]
Increased Input Prices From The Iran War Hurt Nebraska Farmers. According to PBS, "Strong winds whipped around Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer, as he headed into a grain bin to shovel soybeans onto a conveyor chute. […] All of it weighs on Bartek, who is chairman of the Nebraska Soybean Association. ‘Our biggest struggles are our inputs, be it fertilizer, seed, chemical, parts,’ Bartek said. ‘There has been so much drastic markup in all of these. And I just kind of feel like the farmer's kind of painted in the corner.’" [PBS, 4/13/26]
HEADLINE: Nebraska Farmers Faced With Skyrocketing Fuel And Fertilizer Costs As War Surges Overseas. [KLKN, 3/9/26]
April 2026: Rural Mainstreet Index Said High Prices From The Iran Conflict Contributed To A Dire Situation For Rural Economies That Were Being Sent Into Recessions.. According to Nebraska Public Media, "More than half of rural bank CEOs across a 10-state region say their local economies are in a recession, according to the April Rural Mainstreet Index. The index measures economic conditions in rural communities dependent on agriculture and energy. The index was created by Ernie Goss, an economist and professor at Creighton University, and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America. […] ‘Weakness in farm commodity prices and elevated agriculture input costs are spilling over into the rural business community,’ Goss said. The ongoing war in Iran is adding to an already difficult situation by driving up diesel fuel and fertilizer costs, two of farming's most necessary expenses." [Nebraska Public Media, 4/29/26]
¶ Trump’s War In Iran Made Life Less Affordable For Americans
Trump’s War In Iran Meant Americans Were Projected To Spend An Extra $235 At The Gas Pump Over The Course Of 2026. According to Responsible Statecraft, “It’s now been more than a month since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial strategic waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil trade usually passes. Despite President Donald Trump’s claims of having obliterated the Iranian military, Tehran appears poised to dictate the terms of traffic through the strait for the foreseeable future. So what does this mean for Americans? Many are feeling the squeeze through higher prices at the pump, with the average per-gallon cost jumping by nearly 50% since the start of the war. But this only shows a small part of the problem. Using data from oil futures markets, we can calculate the likely cost that this conflict will have on your pocketbook over the next year. The picture isn’t pretty. According to my math, the average American driver can be expected to spend an extra $235 at the pump over the next year, largely because of a war with unclear objectives and no obvious timeline for reaching a ceasefire.” [Responsible Statecraft, 4/7/26]
Trump’s War In Iran Caused Corporations To Pass Fuel Surcharges On To American Consumers And Threatened To Continue Raising Costs. According to The Washington Post, “Amazon is adding a fuel surcharge to its e-commerce deliveries. Mortgage rates have risen to their highest mark in seven months. And consumers may soon see higher prices for soda bottles and detergents. These are all early indications of the Iran war’s impact on the U.S. economy. So far, the costs of the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign have been modest, especially compared with the economic turmoil roiling Asia, and U.S. growth remains solid. On Friday, the Labor Department said employers added a robust 178,000 jobs in March. But like thunderclaps that herald an advancing storm, rising energy bills, interest rates and supply shortfalls may be warnings of worse to come.” [Washington Post, 4/4/26]
- Trump’s War In Iran Threatened To Increase The Price Of Other Goods In Addition To Gas. According to CBS News, “Inflationary pressures are being driven by higher energy prices tied to the Iran war, with the U.S. experiencing the largest one-month jump in fuel costs since at least 1957, according to Pantheon Economics. The conflict's impact on a wide range of goods and services is likely to last for months, and experts said the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is unlikely to immediately ease global energy shortages. Higher fuel prices could push up the cost of other goods, including food, because of increased transportation and production costs. Energy prices tend to rise quickly during disruptions to oil supplies but fall more slowly after a crisis ends — a phenomenon economists call the ‘rockets and feathers’ principle.” [CBS News, 4/9/26]
4/8/26: The Federal Reserve Warned That A Protracted War In The Middle East Would Cause Gas Prices To Continue Rising And Hurt American Households’ Purchasing Power. According to NBC News, “Since the war started, unleaded gas prices have risen more than $1.20 per gallon, from $2.94 to $4.16 as of Wednesday morning, according to GasBuddy data. On Wednesday afternoon, the Fed released the minutes from its most recent meeting on March 17 and 18. Fed officials warned that a ‘protracted conflict in the Middle East could lead to a further softening in labor market conditions, which could warrant additional rate cuts, as substantially higher oil prices could reduce households’ purchasing power,’ the newly released minutes showed.” [NBC News, 4/8/26]
The Head Of The International Energy Agency Said The Oil Crisis Triggered By The Blockade Of The Strait Of Hormuz Was “More Serious Than The Ones In 1973, 1979 And 2022 Together.” According to The Guardian, “The oil and gas crisis triggered by the blockade of the strait of Hormuz is ‘more serious than the ones in 1973, 1979 and 2022 together’, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. Speaking as Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the waterway approached, Fatih Birol told Le Figaro newspaper that the impact of the Middle East conflict on the oil market was larger than the combined force of the twin shocks of the 1970s and the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The IEA executive director also warned that the countries most at risk were developing nations, which would suffer from higher oil and gas prices, higher food prices and a general acceleration of inflation, while European countries, Japan and Australia would also feel an impact.” [Guardian, 4/7/26]
¶ Americans Expressed Concern About How Trump’s War In Iran Would Impact Their Personal Finances
According To Polling From The Pew Research Center, Higher Gas Prices Were The Outcome That Concerned Americans The Most About Trump’s War In Iran. According to the Pew Research Center, “Nearly six weeks into the U.S. military campaign against Iran, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that higher gas prices are the outcome that concerns Americans the most. But majorities also worry about the United States sending ground troops into Iran, large numbers of military casualties, terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, and the war expanding outside the Middle East. The survey was conducted March 23-29 among 3,507 U.S. adults.” [Pew Research Center, 4/7/26]
- Pew Research Center Found That Seven-In-Ten Americans Were Concerned About Higher Fuel Prices As A Result Of Trump’s War In Iran. According to the Pew Research Center, “About seven-in-ten Americans (69%) are concerned about higher gas and fuel prices as a result of the U.S. military action against Iran, including 45% who are extremely concerned. Of the potential outcomes we asked about, this one worries Americans most.” [Pew Research Center, 4/7/26]
- HEADLINE: “Gas Prices Are Americans’ Top Concern In Iran War” [Pew Research Center, 4/7/26]
Americans By A Margin Of 56 Percent To 7 Percent Expected Trump’s War In Iran To Have A “Mostly Negative Impact” On Their Personal Financial Situation. According to The Washington Post, “Americans, by a margin of 56 percent to 7 percent, expect the war to have a ‘mostly negative impact’ on their personal financial situation, according to a March 31 Ipsos poll. A Middle East conflict that lasts for several more months would almost certainly spread higher prices and supply chain disruption beyond Asia and Europe to American shores. ‘I don’t think the U.S. will avoid it. These are global markets,’ said Rachel Ziemba, a New York-based analyst who advises corporations on geopolitical risk. ‘Experts, even a week ago, were worried. Now they are more worried.’” [Washington Post, 4/4/26]
¶ The Iran Conflict Spiked Diesel And Fertilizer Prices
As Of 4/22/26, Diesel And Fertilizer Prices Increased By Nearly 50% Since The Start Of The Iran Conflict.
[Center for American Progress, State-By-State Increases In Gas Prices Since Trump’s War on Iran, 4/23/26]
HEADLINE: Diesel Prices Skyrocket As War In Iran Continues. [The Trucker, 3/11/26]