'When the war is over, energy prices will come down very fast'
Donald Trump lashes out at Democrats as 'communists'
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![US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday (local time). [AP]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/17/rcv.YNA.20260917.PAP20260917171901009_P1.jpg)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) vigorously defended the rise in energy prices triggered by the war with Iran, calling it "a very cheap price to pay" for what his administration had accomplished.
Speaking at a campaign rally at a regional airport in Gastonia, North Carolina, Trump acknowledged that gasoline prices had gone "a little bit higher" since the Iran war began, but stood by the cost.
He said the war had been fought to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, adding, "We stopped them, and frankly, this situation is going to be over soon."
Trump went on to say that even if oil prices had risen far higher, it would still be worth it as the price of preventing Iran from going nuclear.
With midterm elections approaching, Trump launched a full-scale campaign swing through key battleground states, starting with North Carolina — one of the most contested Senate races — to rally support for Republican candidates.
At the North Carolina rally, Trump said, "We have to win this election," warning that a Republican defeat could lead to the repeal of major administration policies, including tax exemptions on tips and overtime pay and his border policies.
He urged Republican supporters to "think of me as being on the ballot" when they go to vote.
Trump called on the crowd to back Republican Senate candidate Michael Watley while launching a sharp attack on his Democratic opponent, former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Trump lashed out at Cooper over crime rates and hurricane response during his tenure as governor, calling him "a murderer and a defender of criminals."
Trump also repeatedly referred to the Democratic Party as "communists," saying a vote for Cooper would be "a vote to hand control of the Senate to the most extreme radicals in history."
He further claimed that Cooper and the Democrats "want to take everything you have and give it to people who are robbing your homes, invading your borders and killing people."
The rally was Trump's first in-person campaign appearance since the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, last week, and signaled the start of a broader push to stump for Republican candidates across key battleground states.
mokiya@heraldcorp.com
