More than six months ago, Donald Trump started a deadly and costly war with Iran that has already killed at least 18 U.S. service members and wounded at least 750 more, while sending the economy into a tailspin.
Trump and his chief dealmaker JD Vance have failed to reach an agreement to end their war, despite assuring Americans dozens of times that the war was nearly over, that they were nearing a deal, or that the war was already over. Trump originally claimed the war with Iran would last “four to five weeks,” and Vance said there is “no way” Trump would “allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight.” Meanwhile, just recently, Trump said he is “not in a hurry” to end the war.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s deadly and costly war with Iran has been an unmitigated disaster that has put U.S. service members in harm’s way and decimated the economy as prices back home skyrocket. Everyday Americans were already struggling to pay for groceries and afford their medical bills — and Trump’s war has made life even worse as he spends billions of taxpayer dollars on bombs but not healthcare. Trump and JD Vance campaigned as the ‘pro-peace’ ticket, yet six months later, they still have no way to end this war while working families pay the price.”
Trump and Vance’s war has already cost up to $100 billion of taxpayer money — four times the original $25 billion estimate — and cost consumers roughly $150 billion, or about $1,100 per household in higher prices. Americans have already spent $72 billion more on gas since the beginning of the war, approximately $604 per household, as last month saw the most expensive gas prices for any August on record.
Meanwhile, Trump and his corporate donors have cashed in on the war. Trump has seen his wealth increase by as much as $15.5 million solely through stocks he owned in oil and gas companies at the end of 2025 due to the surge in global oil prices because of his war with Iran. Meanwhile, Big Oil companies have reported a whopping $125 billion in profits this year — after Trump promised them on the campaign trail that he would reward them if they donated $1 billion to his campaign.
