We’re coming up on the two month anniversary of Trump plunging the United States into a dangerous, unnecessary war in the Middle East. The costs are adding up, and North Carolinians are being left to pay for Trump’s reckless decision-making. 

Whether it be at the gas pump, the grocery store, or even at home– North Carolinians are paying for Trump’s war. And we have little to show for it. Americans feel less safe than they did before the war, and are increasingly pessimistic about when it will come to an end.

Here’s just a few ways that North Carolinians are paying for Trump’s chaos. 

Gas Prices Are High (And Will Be For A While) 

Gas prices have spiked since the war began, the highest they’ve been in years. North Carolinians could be paying as much as $4 per gallon soon, roughly 30% higher than what they were at the start of the year. Diesel is much higher– the average already at $5.60 per gallon. Jet fuel costs double what it did this time last year, so high that airlines are starting to reschedule or cancel flights. 

Even if the war were to end today, it could take months for prices to drop back down to what they were before this all started. The energy infrastructure has been damaged, shipping routes have been disrupted, and companies could keep prices high to recoup losses from when prices spiked suddenly. We might not see relief until 2027, and this will have an impact on the rest of the economy– from your electric bill to groceries. 

Grocery Prices Are On The Rise As NC Farmers Struggle

When fuel gets more expensive, everything gets more expensive. That includes groceries, which sometimes have to travel long distances before they get to the shelves. Produce like green beans and limes are already getting more expensive. 

But it’s more than just shipping costs. As Trump’s war with Iran has driven up oil prices, the cost of petroleum-derived fertilizer has increased too. Jason Davis, a Hendersonville farmer, said that before the war, he was paying between $15,000 and $16,000 to grow an acre of tomatoes. Now, it’s costing him closer to $20,000. 

Fertilizer for the crops, diesel for the tractors, more diesel to get the produce from fields to shelves– Trump’s war has made it all more expensive. 

“Every farmer in Henderson County is still working hard to try to overcome Helene and now we’ve got this situation,” Davis said.

North Carolinians Feel Less Safe

The cost spikes are painful, but the war itself is wearing on North Carolinians too. Our state is home to the biggest military base in the country– Fort Bragg. More than 2,000 paratroopers from Fort Bragg have been deployed to the Middle East. That’s a lot of spouses who are losing sleep each night, a lot of kids who are wondering if they will see their parents again, a lot of North Carolinians who are worried about whether this is temporary chaos, or another forever war that no one wants. 

One Elon University poll showed that North Carolinians are worried that Trump is being reckless with military force abroad. 44% of North Carolinians said they expect that Americans will be less safe one year from today as a result of Trump’s actions in Iran. Just 29% said they think we’ll be safer. 52% think Trump has “gone too far,” just 32% believe what he is doing is necessary. And as 50,000 troops are deployed to the Middle East, including those soldiers from Fort Bragg, 62% of North Carolinians are saying that they oppose sending U.S. ground troops into Iran. 

This poll was done before Trump started making unhinged, deeply disturbing threats on social media. We’re not far removed from his Easter day threat to commit war crimes against innocent civilians in Iran– civilians that Trump initially said he was seeking to support. And we’re not far removed from his additional threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

I don’t think any of us feel more safe right now, not at all.    

Overall– Billions For Bombs, Nothing For You And Your Family

When Americans needed affordable health care, Washington Republicans cut Medicaid and eliminated tax credits that would have helped families pay their premiums. When families were worried about putting food on the table, Republicans cut food assistance programs. When medical researchers were looking for cures, they saw their grants eliminated. When teachers were hoping for raises, they got funding freezes. When Americans wanted safe communities, they got untrained federal agents shooting their neighbors in the streets. 

And now, when all we want is to live our lives, we get a president who puts more thought into building himself a ballroom then he does into plunging his country into another painful war. 

This administration has unlimited funding for bombing innocent civilians, for shooting American citizens, and for billionaire tax breaks. They have nothing for you or your family.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Contact your legislators. Talk to a neighbor. Go to a march. We need our leaders to begin putting us first, and your voice can go a long way in making that happen.