President Donald Trump said stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is his top priority, remarks made as US inflation accelerated to 3.8% in April amid energy-price spikes tied to strikes on Iran. Gasoline averages above $4.50 a gallon while food, utilities and airfares have risen. The Senate narrowly defeated a Democratic war-powers resolution and confirmed Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair. Other items included the likely closure of the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility and Stacey Abrams's warning about partisan redistricting.
Trump: Stopping Iran’s Nuclear Program Is ‘The Only Thing That Matters’ as Inflation Bites
Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC before he left for China on Tuesday.Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images(Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump said preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is "the only thing that matters," remarks he made as the US midterm campaign season is increasingly defined by rising costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
“I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That's all,” the president told reporters at the White House before boarding a plane to China.
Trump's comments came hours after official data showed US consumer prices rose 3.8% in April — the fastest pace since 2023 — driven largely by energy costs that surged after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in late February. Gasoline now averages over $4.50 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA); food prices are up nearly 4%, electricity and utility bills have increased, and some airlines have raised fares by more than 20%.
Economic Pressure and Political Fallout
Senior White House officials have spent months trying to explain when, or if, these price pressures will ease. Asked whether the economic pain felt by many Americans would prompt efforts to negotiate a peace deal, Trump replied sharply that it was not a factor: 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody,' he said.
On Capitol Hill, the US Senate on Wednesday rejected a seventh Democratic attempt to limit American involvement in the conflict with Iran. A war powers resolution sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) failed 49-50, with Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joining Republicans in opposing the measure's advancement.
Key Appointments and Domestic Issues
The Senate also confirmed Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve in a 54-45 vote. Warsh was approved for a four-year term as chair and a 14-year appointment to the Fed's rate-setting board; the vote was largely along party lines, with Senator John Fetterman joining Republicans in support.
Meanwhile, an alliance of environmental groups and immigration advocates welcomed what appears to be the imminent closure of the notorious Alligator Alcatraz immigration jail in the remote Florida Everglades, a facility President Trump previously praised for its toughness.
Other Developments
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams described recent Republican-led redistricting efforts as 'evil incarnate' in an interview on the Guardian's Stateside with Kai and Carter podcast, calling the actions intentional cheating designed to dilute minority voting power and urging legal and electoral challenges.
Senator J.D. Vance warned he could cut federal funding for government health insurance programs in states that refuse to comply with the administration's crackdown on suspected fraud. More than 30 members of Congress have urged the White House to end the use of Guantánamo Bay for immigrant detention and to rule out military action against Cuba.
An 85-year-old woman detained at an ICE facility in Louisiana described harsh conditions, saying, 'The guards could not speak without yelling.' These items formed part of the fast-moving political news on 12 May 2026.
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