The White House is scrambling to keep gasoline prices from spiking after the U.S. attack on Iran, which rattled the world’s energy markets and is causing economic uncertainty at home. And yet, every time President Donald Trump has made an economic gamble so far during his second term, the U.S. economy has remained somewhat resilient. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and Victoria Guida break down what the administration is doing behind the scenes, how higher oil prices could affect the broader U.S. economy, and what it all means for the 2026 midterm elections.

Ben Lefebvre is the deputy energy editor at POLITICO.

Victoria Guida is an economics correspondent and columnist at POLITICO.

Stefan Todorovic is the video producer of POLITICO Energy.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of POLITICO’s E&E News.

Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO.

Our theme music is by Pran Bandi.

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