Members of Congress who support President Trump’s actions against Iran, including U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), are increasingly saying that the complicated reasons behind the U.S. attack on Iran can be summarized — looking back — as a single goal: stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
This idea matches what the White House says now, but it doesn’t sit well with people who believed the President’s strong statement in June that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been “completely destroyed.”
Now, GOP leaders are saying that the rising gas prices and other problems caused by the war are a small cost for keeping Iran’s nuclear program from growing.
But many people are confused because they were told the Iranian nuclear threat was gone, and now they’re being asked to be thankful for expensive gas — which is over $4 a gallon — if it means Iran can’t build nuclear weapons.
That doesn’t sound right to many.
Sen. Roger Marshall: "I'm sorry that gas prices are going up, but help is on the way, and your national security is even more important than your pocketbook." pic.twitter.com/GSUEDVHQml
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2026
Senator Marshall said during an interview: “I’m sorry about the higher gas prices, but help is coming, and your national security matters more than your wallet.”
U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) shared the same view at the Semafor World Economy conference this week.
He praised the President for trying to “remove” Iran’s nuclear weapons and added, “I don’t want to die from a nuclear attack by Iran.”
U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-OH) also said on Face the Nation that the reason for the war was simple: to end the fear of a nuclear attack, even if it means higher gas prices for a while.
When asked how he’s justifying the war in Iran to his constituents in Dayton, Ohio, Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) says “no one is willing to trade lower gas prices for Iran becoming a nuclear state.”
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 12, 2026
“When Vice President Vance stood at the podium and said that the negotiations had… pic.twitter.com/6GYW7chJi0
Turner, who is running for re-election in Ohio, also commented on Vice President JD Vance’s failed talks with Iran in Pakistan.
He said, “When Vice President Vance said the talks ended because Iran refused to say they wouldn’t become a nuclear state, that should have made everyone in Europe and around the world worried.”
When Turner repeated the claim that “no one is willing to trade lower gas prices for Iran becoming a nuclear state,” people responded with a link to a White House press release from June 2025, which states: “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed — and saying otherwise is fake news.”
Turner’s post has received many comments, including one that argues, “nearly everyone would accept higher gas prices to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons,” and another saying, “Pakistan, North Korea, China, and Russia all have nuclear weapons.”
About the Author
