Republicans begin to turn on Trump, blasting him for Iran war, oil prices and unpopular policies

With the midterm elections just six weeks away, a growing number of Republican elected officials and candidates are distancing themselves from — and in some cases openly breaking with — President Donald Trump.

On the campaign trail and social media, they have voiced concerns about the war in Iran, gasoline prices, immigration enforcement and other issues that polls indicate are unpopular with voters. A small group has gone further, voting to rein in the president.

“I said it in March: the mission had to stay focused and limited, because Americans do not want another forever war,” Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said this month before voting to restrict Trump’s war authority in Iran. “I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump.”

The increased willingness to openly defy the GOP president comes as his approval rating hovers near historic lows and as polls suggest Republicans could face a midterm shellacking — potentially costing them control of both the House and Senate.

Fearing he may dampen their electoral chances, Republicans in some of the nation’s most competitive races have made clear that they do not want Trump on the campaign trail. “We've told them he cannot come," a senior Republican operative told Politico earlier this month. “Candidly, he would not be helpful here.”

Still, while some GOP lawmakers have bucked and ducked Trump — not an uncommon dynamic for lame-duck presidents — most have publicly supported Trump’s signature policies. Trump has also vowed to aggressively hit the campaign trail over the coming weeks.

When reached for comment by The Independent, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said touted a list of Trump’s accomplishments.

“President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress,” Ingle said.

“The President signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, sealed the border, drove violent crime to the lowest level in nearly a century, unleashed an energy revolution, added more than a million private-sector jobs, and sent Americans’ 401(k)s climbing to record highs,” he added. “The choice has never been more clear: doubling down on President Trump’s winning, commonsense agenda or the Democrats’ extreme liberal policies and obstruction.”

One issue that has drawn vocal opposition from some Republicans has been the Iran war, which has stretched on for seven months, leading to the deaths of at least 18 service members and costing taxpayers billions.

On September 15, the House passed a war powers resolution that sought to force Trump to end hostilities without congressional authorization. It was the third time the House approved the largely symbolic measure.

But the vote was notable because a record seven Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats in supporting it.

Along with Miller-Meeks, Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa voted for the resolution and explained his decision in a social media post. Nunn said Iran must be held accountable for its actions but argued that the Trump administration has failed to clearly define its objectives.

“Iowa has already paid a devastating price, including two service members killed by an Iranian drone in Kuwait,” Nunn wrote. “Congress owes them, their families, and every American in uniform clear objectives and constitutional oversight.”

“Having deployed multiple times and flown over 700 combat hours in the Middle East, I will not support another open-ended war,” he added.

Other GOP lawmakers have echoed that view, saying they oppose Iran but believe the Trump administration’s prosecution of the war — and its justification for it — has fallen short.

“As I’m talking to Alaskans, they’re saying, ‘Wait a minute, he said we were going to be in and out in a matter of weeks,” Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said this month. “I’m not satisfied with where we are. Not at all.”

The war has driven U.S. gas prices sharply higher. On Tuesday, the national average for a gallon of gasoline stood at $4.47, up from $2.98 two days before the conflict began, according to AAA.

Trump has characterized the higher costs at the pump as a “small price to pay” for neutralizing Iran. But a vocal minority of Republicans have made clear that they do not share that view.

“Prices are too high,” Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood told The Hill last month. “I don’t want to dismiss that. It’s important. It’s something that every single person talks about in my district and across the country.” He added: “As it relates to gas prices, you’ve gotta, you know … play the hand you’re dealt.”

Other GOP lawmakers have gone further, pressing the administration to take steps aimed at easing pain at the pump.

Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has proposed a temporary ban on diesel exports as a way to lower prices. “Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” she wrote on X on Monday.

A week earlier, Maryland Rep. Andy Harris introduced legislation to suspend the federal gas tax. “Enough is enough. Americans are paying more at the pump, and Washington shouldn’t be making it worse,” he wrote on X.

Trump’s handling of several other unpopular issues has also prompted pushback from a small number of Republicans.

Earlier this year, the House narrowly voted to revoke tariffs that Trump placed on Canada. Several Republicans crossed over to join Democrats in advancing the measure.

“I’m freaked out about it. Because every poll shows that American voters are against tariffs at a 2-to-1 ratio,” Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, who voted for the measure, told CNBC in February. “The president has latched on to a very unpopular policy.”

Earlier this month, in a rare public rebuke of Trump’s immigration crackdown, Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released a campaign ad saying: “Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.”

“The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today,” she added.

And on Tuesday, Utah Sen. John Curtis publicly urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., over questions about whether he used his family ties for personal profit.