Some Trump supporters in Memphis say higher gas prices worth it for Iran war
They praised his Memphis public safety initiative, which he was in town to tout.
MEMPHIS -- As President Donald Trump visited Memphis on Monday to join a roundtable on the Memphis Safe Task Force anti-crime initiative, some of his supporters in Bluff City told ABC News that they're happy with the president's action against Iran and willing to put up with some pain at the gas pump as a result.
But other residents dissented, pointing to how it's causing challenges for them and their friends.
Gas prices in Tennessee are at an average of around $3.64 per gallon for regular as of Sunday, according to AAA, up from around $2.56 per gallon a month ago.
Nationally, 55% of Americans said their household finances had taken at least somewhat of a hit from the increase in gas prices, including 42% of Republicans, according to a recent poll from Reuters/Ipsos. The poll found that 77% of Republicans still approve of U.S. military strikes in Iran.
On Monday morning, a group of Trump supporters from Memphis and the surrounding suburbs gathered at a street corner to welcome the president with signs, flags, and cheers and thank him for what they say is a safer city.
The event, organized by the Shelby County Republican Party, turned out a small crowd and was greeted by some supportive honks from motorists, but also some cursing at Trump from people in at least two cars passing by.
The event was also held across the street from a gas station, which had regular gas priced at $3.89 per gallon.
Some attendees who spoke with ABC News acknowledged the high gas prices were impacting them, but saw them as being bearable during the U.S. military action in the Middle East, which they said they support.
"Well, the bottom line is, when you stand up for right -- sometimes you do have to make sacrifices. And I believe the action that the president is taking here with Iran and is, in the long term, going to be in the best interest of the United States," Colin Richmond, a district leader with the Shelby County Republicans from Memphis, told ABC News.
He's dealt with the rise in gas prices, too, he said, but feels the broader goals of the U.S. operation is worth it.
"Certainly. I'm a working-class person, and I go to the pump just like everybody else. And the president was excited about making gas affordable, and was hoping it would be under $2; and the gas was close to $2 -- I remember paying $2.22," Richmond said.
"But the bottom line is, there are times when you have to stand up for what is right. And I think the American people are going to reward not only the president, but we're going to thank God that we have someone to stand up for America and stand up for what is right."
Richmond, who works in transportation, called himself a "huge Trump supporter," saying he voted for him three times, and was happy the president was making a visit to Memphis. He praised the Memphis Safe Task Force, as well, for helping the city become safer: "People feel safer going downtown, midtown, going out to dinner. The car break-ins are not as much. So we need to keep the hammer on; and hey, more power to them."
Another Trump supporter who joined the gathering on Monday morning, East Memphis resident Susan Houston, was holding a "THANK YOU" sign with the president in the center. She told ABC News she is grateful to the president for arranging the public safety task force.
"I am thankful for everything that Trump is doing in our city here in Memphis. I'm thankful that when I go out, I can see [the] presence of the [National] Guard and feel safe. I feel safe getting in and out of my car at home and just driving around and doing things in Memphis that we didn't do before," she said.
She added later, "I wouldn't be out at eight o'clock in the morning anywhere when it's cold if it wasn't for Donald Trump."
She was emphatic that she sees the rise in gas prices as a necessary sacrifice.
"People complain about it. I'm not going to complain about the gas prices, because I know that we are paying a price right now," she said.
"And if I can pay the price in gas from other people for them to have their freedom and for our country to be safe, then I'm willing to pay that price," she said. "It's just a price we have to pay."
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