High Gas Prices Carve Deep Divides in Rural Colorado

"Used to spend $36 for a full tank. Now, that money buys barely half."

In Wiggins, Colorado, the road to prosperity has hit a brutal detour—gas prices have surged, leaving residents like Amy Van Duyn—a clerk at Stubs liquor store—grabbing for their wallets harder than ever. She’s now paying 50% more to fill up since Trump retook office, a stark contrast to the $36 that once filled her tank. Her coworker Tonyah Bruyette faces the same squeeze: every dollar pumped from her tank is one less for her grocery cart.

And yet, despite the financial strain, both women stand firmly behind Donald Trump, whose hardline stance on Iran has pushed gas prices past $4.50 nationwide—a figure polls show most Americans blame on his policies.

The Cost of Safety

Trump’s Iran strategy has become a rallying cry in rural Colorado, where voters see the price hike not as a burden, but as a necessary guard against nuclear threats. Democrats decry the approach as "tone-deaf", noting Trump’s economy approval rating has plummeted to just 30%.

But here, in the heart of Trump Country, the calculus is simple: pain now, security later.

• Miller, 65, retired trader: "I’ve seen worse—this feels like wartime rationing. I’d rather pay now than live in fear forever."
• Mike Urbanowicz, grain trader in Roggen: "Yeah, it hurts my business. Prices won’t drop fast even if talks work out. But the alternative? Worse."
• Lexys Siebrands, 22, tattoo shop owner: "War with Iran was coming no matter who was in charge. At least Trump’s preparing for it."

Her mother, Jyl Siebrands, echoes the sentiment: "I hate the prices, but I fear a nuclear Iran more."

A Tightrope Walk

For these voters, Trump’s economic trade-offs are a small price for what they see as strategic strength. But as the strain on wallets tightens, the question lingers:

How long before the sacrifice feels like too much?

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