KC area drivers sound off on high gas prices and who is to blame. Here’s what to know
Gas prices across the Kansas City metro have climbed about $1 per gallon since the U.S. went to war with Iran on Feb. 28. The Star spoke with more than 30 drivers at five gas stations to gauge how they’re coping and who they blame.
FULL STORY: KC area drivers sound off on high gas prices, the Iran war. ‘We all know who to blame’
Here are key takeaways:
• Gas hovered at $3.53 in Jackson County and as low as $3.52 in Johnson County on Friday, according to AAA, with oil prices topping $100 per barrel since the war began.
• A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Friday found 77% of registered voters say President Donald Trump is at least partly responsible for rising gas prices.
• Trump initially said military operations would last six weeks, but as the eighth week of the war got underway, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz will continue “as long as it takes.”
• Karla Flores, filling up at a Kansas City QuikTrip, said she’s making fewer trips and will weigh gas prices at the ballot box in November: “We all know who to blame.”
• Some drivers aren’t blaming Trump. Dave Schuler, filling up in Shawnee, said “gas prices always go up and down, no matter who’s in charge.”
• Rystad Energy estimated U.S. shale oil producers could see a $63 billion boost in sales from the war, fueling frustration from drivers like Thaylia Smith, who said “the rich keep getting richer.”
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
