Rising gas and grocery costs squeeze American households

Sep 13, 2026

High gas prices and grocery bills are hitting regular Americans hard, and even some Trump voters are turning on him over it.

  • Diesel topped $6 a gallon for the first time, and gas is above $4 nationally, pushing up the price of everything else.
  • People are rationing fill-ups and cutting grocery baskets in half, with basics like chicken nuggets and cheese now painfully expensive.
  • The Iran war is blamed for much of the fuel spike, and Trump has suggested high gas prices are worth it to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon.
  • Long-time Trump supporters are now saying they were better off under Biden, while he spends the weekend at a golf tournament in Ireland.
  • The job market is grinding people down too: endless interview rounds, AI resume filters, and nothing paying above minimum wage.

Outlook: Rent is already falling in cities like Austin, Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas — a sign the economy is cooling fast while the war looks set to drag on for years.

← Latest · Archive