Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized fellow Republicans—including messaging around President Donald Trump—for downplaying higher gas prices tied to the Iran conflict, during a West Palm Beach campaign stop and an Election Eve interview on Stephen A. Smith’s show.
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, at a Police Benevolent Association event in West Palm Beach supporting Attorney General James Uthmeier, DeSantis acknowledged voter frustration. “The reality is, gas is higher. That’s not good,” he said. He added that he does not “begrudge” Americans angry about prices and pushed back on some in his party: “Some of these Republicans that try to act like it’s no big deal—I disagree with that. It is a big deal for people.” He still urged support for Republican candidates, arguing Democrats would worsen energy costs.
The following night on Straight Shooter with Stephen A. (posted around Election Eve for the November 3 midterms), DeSantis went further. He linked the price spike directly to the Iran conflict, noting Trump had campaigned against another Middle East war. “We have some of our voters who’ve checked out because they’re like, I didn’t want any more Middle East wars and now we’re doing it,” he said. An open-ended conflict, unlike a quicker one such as Venezuela, was hitting people at the pump.
He rejected attempts to minimize the issue or shift blame: “Some of these Republicans are saying, ‘Oh, well, the gas, don’t worry. You know, it’s no big deal.’ Or they’re trying to blame Biden. No, no. Listen, we just got to be honest. Gas is higher. It hurts people, working-class people, and it’s higher because of this conflict. That’s just the fact. If you can’t admit that to voters, then you’re gaslighting them, and they’re not going to listen to you on other things.”
DeSantis warned that prolonged conflict could harm Trump’s ability to achieve other goals and make future elections difficult for Republicans. National gas prices had risen substantially since the conflict began (AAA national average around $4.15 versus roughly $2.98 earlier), contributing to headwinds in a midterm cycle already expected to challenge the GOP.
DeSantis, who is term-limited and leaving office, framed the comments as a call for honesty rather than a reason to abandon the party. The remarks stand out as a high-profile Republican governor publicly urging his side to confront economic fallout from the Iran situation instead of dismissing it.
SOURCES:
DeSantis Blames Iran War for High Gas, Says GOP Is Gaslighting Voters · Clash Report
Americans Vote In Critical Midterm Elections, U.S. Conducts Limited Strikes On Iran: Live Updates | HuffPost Latest News
DeSantis Says Trump Is ‘Gaslighting’ Voters on Iran, Gas
Ron DeSantis Gets Real About Trump, Midterms & The Future Of The Republican Party – YouTube
Stephen A. Smith Rips Into DeSantis Over NAACP’s Florida Travel Warning
Stephen A. Smith Slams Ron DeSantis: ‘One Of The Stupidest People I’ve Ever Seen’ | OutKick
