U.S. voters are expressing bipartisan frustration as gasoline prices climb, with many working-class Americans saying the increase is straining household budgets. The national average reached $4.48 a gallon Friday, up 17 cents in a week, 40 cents in a month and $1.27 from a year earlier, according to AAA. President Donald Trump has said higher prices are a small cost of the war with Iran, which he describes as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Interviews in Texas, Arizona, Michigan, Virginia and North Carolina found Democrats and independents especially motivated to punish Republicans, while some Trump supporters remained committed to voting Republican despite economic concerns. A Fox News survey found 61% of voters consider gas prices a major household problem, up from 48% two years ago, and 63% say the administration has worsened the economy. The pressure comes seven weeks before Election Day, as early voting begins and Republicans face Trump's weak approval ratings, an unpopular foreign conflict and an affordability crisis.