Trump has spent September on foreign affairs as voters rank living costs their top midterm issue and the Iran war drives fuel prices higher. A Sept. 21 Reuters/Ipsos poll put his approval at 32%, a career low; only 17% approved of his handling of living costs.
Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a three-day state visit and called their Sept. 24 meeting “very good,” naming technology, security and artificial intelligence as key topics without elaborating. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker criticized the lavish welcome and urged Trump to press Xi on whether China provided Iran with satellite imagery, the harassment of Filipino fishermen and Taiwan’s status. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said high-level meetings between the leaders were vital.
AAA said gasoline averaged $4.49 per gallon on Sept. 25, up from $2.87 in late January, while diesel averaged $6.50. The article attributes higher fuel costs to Iran’s threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Four Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Rand Paul and Susan Collins—backed a Sept. 24 resolution to end the war; it failed. A separate Quinnipiac poll found about two-thirds disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy and Iran war.
