In an exclusive statement to Alpha News, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya said the Iran War “needs to end quickly and strategically.” That statement is the latest evidence of the growing unpopularity of the Mideast conflict.
On Feb. 27, the United States and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran that killed Iran’s supreme leader and kicked off a regional war. According to the Trump administration, the strikes were necessary to destroy Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Since then, the war has gone on for seven months and has grown increasingly unpopular as prices in the United States have surged.
In Minnesota, the average price of regular unleaded gas was $2.673 per gallon in January. By September the average price climbed to $4.24 per gallon. Nationally, the average price of diesel jumped from $3.523 per gallon in January to $6.291 per gallon in September.
The conflict with Iran has been widely cited as the reason for those price jumps as the war has limited oil shipments out of the region and resulted in attacks on oil refineries.
According to a polling average from RealClearPolitics, 63.1% disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran War. Additionally, a polling average published by Nate Silver shows 57.9% of Americans oppose the Iran War while 33.4% support the war.
In recent days, Republicans have begun to take notice of just how unpopular the war is.
Last month, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, Mike Rogers, said the Iran War “needs to end to bring costs down.” Additionally, Iowa’s GOP U.S. Senate nominee, Ashley Hinson, said the war needs to be “brought to a successful and immediate end.”
In Minnesota, Republican gubernatorial nominee Lisa Demuth spoke about the war at a press conference last week. She said the Iran War has resulted in “increased prices” and “it is time to put an end to that war. I really believe that.”
Michele Tafoya, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, appears to feel the same.
“No president, Republican or Democrat, has a blank check to wage war indefinitely without getting the consent of Congress and the support of the American people,” Tafoya told Alpha News in an exclusive statement.
“Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon,” she added. “But we are seven months into this conflict and Americans are in pain from higher prices. President Trump needs to level with the country about our strategy and the path forward.”
“This war needs to end quickly and strategically, with a resolution that prevents Iran from holding the world economy hostage whenever it chooses,” Tafoya concluded.
In the race for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, Tafoya faces DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Despite Minnesota’s left-wing lean, recent polls have shown an incredibly close race between Tafoya and Flanagan. RealClearPolitics rates the race as a “Toss Up.”
Democratic candidates across the country have hammered Republicans over the Iran War, and Flanagan is no different. During the campaign, Flanagan has published ads claiming Tafoya supports the Iran War and the price increases that have occurred.
However, Tafoya’s call for a quick and strategic conclusion to the Iran War could disarm one of Flanagan’s most prominent lines of attack in the final weeks of the general election.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
