Gas prices this Labor Day are expected to reach a record high, with estimates suggesting they could hit $4.03 per gallon over the holiday weekend. This would break the previous Labor Day record of $3.83 per gallon set in 2012. According to GasBuddy, a website that tracks fuel prices, this year’s forecast is 87 cents higher than the $3.16 per gallon average seen in 2025. Over the past five years, Labor Day weekend gas prices have ranged from a low of $3.16 in 2025 to $3.79 in 2022. Gas prices typically rise in the summer due to increased demand, but this year’s increase has been even more pronounced. The situation has been worsened by ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. After the U.S. and Israel conducted joint military strikes in February, Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping channel through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes. As a result, the national average gas price in the U.S. reached $4.08 per gallon as of Monday, according to the AAA Gas Prices index. Consumers have also spent an estimated $59 billion more on gasoline from February 28 through May compared to the same period in the previous year, according to a Moody's economist. Former President Donald Trump has argued that higher gas prices are a necessary cost of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. While Vice President JD Vance recently emphasized that the administration’s priority during the conflict is keeping gas and oil prices low for Americans, Trump reiterated in an August 17 social media post that the "No. 1 goal is, and always will be" to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. GasBuddy, which helps drivers find the cheapest gas stations, noted that global oil markets have been unstable due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions. The rising cost of living, including high gas prices, has become a growing concern for many voters. These issues could pose challenges for the Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections. If the party cannot address these concerns before the elections, it risks losing its narrow majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The combination of high gas prices and the ongoing conflict with Iran has created a difficult political landscape for Republicans as they prepare for the upcoming elections.