Do Kansas City drivers blame Trump and the Iran war for high gas prices?
Hello, Star readers,
Today, we’re looking into how Kansas City motorists are coping with high gasoline prices and whether they blame President Donald Trump for sticker shock at the pumps.
Next, we’ll get into:
• Disgraced cop’s political sway: A Republican running for Congress in Missouri is touting an endorsement from Eric DeValkenaere, an ex-KC police officer convicted of killing a Black man.
• Ethics complaint: The Kansas GOP alleges that a Johnson County megapastor misused church resources while weighing a run against Sen. Roger Marshall. Do they have evidence?
This week in politics
Oil prices have surged to just over $100 a barrel amid the ongoing U.S. war in Iran. For motorists across the Kansas City metro and beyond, that means gasoline prices are also on the rise.
A gallon of gas costs about $1 more in Missouri and Kansas than it did before the war began on Feb. 28, according to the Center for American Progress. Missouri and Kansas enjoy some of the lowest gas prices in the country, but the surge is still hitting people’s pocket books.
“It’s just higher. So that means that you get less treats for yourself. You have to feed your car instead,” Thaylia Smith told The Star as she filled her tank at a Shell station on Main Street in Kansas City, where gas was $3.59 a gallon on Friday.
Some drivers attributed high gas prices directly to President Trump and the conflict in Iran.
“We all know who to blame,” said Karla Flores, who was filling up at a QuikTrip on Truman Road. She said it’s one factor she’ll consider when she goes to the ballot box in November.
Other motorists were less inclined to blame the president.
“Gas prices always go up and down, no matter who’s in charge,” said Dave Schuler, who was refueling his company truck at a QuikTrip in Shawnee. “I’m not necessarily a Trump fan, but I don’t see where it’s all his fault,” he added.
Read the full story, including what KC drivers are doing to conserve gasoline.
More from this past week
• Kansas and Missouri politicians took to social media to respond to another apparent assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Here’s what they said.
• A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer was charged with sexual battery for allegedly sexually assaulting another officer inside a department locker room. Here’s what we know.
• Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly killed a GOP tax reform bill designed to limit local government spending. In her veto message, she accused lawmakers of making a “false promise.”
Looking for more?
• For more politics news, follow @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social, @kacen.bsky.social, @grice1911.bsky.social and Jack Harvel’s Facebook page.
• Want to read more newsletters from The Star? You can subscribe to our free daily newsletters, the Morning Rush or the Afternoon Catch-Up.
That’s all for now! See you next week.
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