Two Republican Senate candidates, Mike Rogers (Michigan) and Ashley Hinson (Iowa), urged a rapid end to the nearly seven-month war with Iran and proposed measures such as suspending gasoline taxes and pausing diesel exports to relieve consumers. Both had previously supported President Trump's authority to strike Tehran but shifted their messaging amid rising fuel and diesel prices. Democrats called the moves opportunistic flip-flopping as the conflict becomes an electoral liability ahead of November's midterms. The changes mirror a broader trend of some GOP lawmakers distancing themselves from Trump on the war and other issues.
Republican Senate Hopefuls Urge Swift End To Iran War, Break With Trump As Fuel Costs Bite
People drive near a billboard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump on a building in Tehran, Iran, September 16, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Sept 21 (Reuters) - Two Republican Senate contenders in competitive races called on Monday for a rapid end to the war with Iran, signaling a notable break with President Donald Trump as rising fuel costs put campaign pressure on vulnerable GOP candidates.
Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee in Michigan facing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, and Ashley Hinson, the GOP candidate in Iowa challenging Democrat Josh Turek, both adopted a more dovish tone on the conflict after previously supporting the president's authority to strike Tehran.
Shifting Messages Amid Rising Fuel Prices
In statements and campaign messaging on Monday, both candidates linked an end to the conflict with relief at the pump. Rogers published a new campaign advertisement on X in which he stood in a grocery store and declared:
"The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly. When it does, energy costs will plummet. But Michigan families can't afford to wait for that to happen. We need to do something now."He also called for suspending state and federal gasoline taxes and a temporary halt on U.S. diesel exports.
Hinson, a sitting member of the U.S. House, urged immediate steps to ease consumer pain and wrote on social media: "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 called for a gasoline tax suspension, a pause in diesel exports and other measures — and said the war should be "brought to a successful and immediate end."
Political Fallout
The shifts come as politicians assess the political cost of a nearly seven-month-old conflict that has contributed to higher fuel prices, including record diesel levels that are especially painful in farm-heavy states like Iowa. Democrats accused Rogers and Hinson of opportunistic repositioning.
Abdul El-Sayed criticized Rogers, saying the change in tone was triggered by rising gasoline prices. Josh Turek noted Hinson's past votes and wrote on X that it was easier to post a tweet than to vote to end the war when she had the chance.
Other Republicans have also moved away from Trump on the issue: Iowa Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks recently joined Democrats in voting to limit the president's war powers related to Iran, and some GOP lawmakers have signaled broader distancing on other topics as well.
Context
Public dissatisfaction with both the handling of the economy and the Iran war has grown, with inflation remaining elevated. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday showed Trump's approval rating at 32%, a career low, underscoring the political pressure heading into the November midterms.
Reporting by Nathan Layne; editing by Ross Colvin and Chris Reese.
Help us improve.
