TEHRAN - As Americans grapple with rising fuel and consumer prices amid the war with Iran, President Donald Trump was met with jeers from spectators at the NBA Finals in New York City.

Trump was booed at the basketball game after frustrated ticketholders waited for hours in queues on Monday because of the extensive security measures surrounding his appearance.

Boos echoed through the arena when cameras showed Trump on giant screens saluting during the national anthem. Despite the reaction, Trump later downplayed the incident, telling reporters: "It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic."

At first glance, the catcalls may have been linked to confusion and delays caused by heightened security checks. However, such explanations pale in comparison to the growing public frustration with Trump’s handling of the war that has inflicted mounting economic costs on ordinary Americans.

More than three months after Washington and Tel Aviv launched military strikes against Iran on February 28, the conflict continues to weigh heavily on the US economy. Iran’s ability to maintain effective control over the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, disrupting a vital shipping route that previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil trade.

The resulting surge in oil and gasoline prices has intensified cost-of-living pressures across the United States, eroding public confidence in Trump’s leadership and pushing his approval rating close to historic lows.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday, only 35 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in the White House, a figure hovering near the lowest levels of his political career. The rating is just one point above the 34 percent recorded in April and close to his first-term low of 33 percent in December 2017.
The poll underscores widespread dissatisfaction with Trump's decision to go to war with Iran and the economic fallout that followed. While gasoline prices have eased slightly in recent weeks amid hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough, Americans remain deeply pessimistic about the future. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they expect fuel prices to rise further over the next year, compared with only 17 percent who believe prices will improve.

The economic burden of the conflict appears to be hitting Trump particularly hard on the issue that helped return him to the White House. Just 22 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the cost of living, while 70 percent disapprove. The figures are even worse than those recorded by former President Joe Biden at the end of his term, despite Trump’s repeated promises to tame inflation and lower energy costs.

The growing discontent is increasingly reflected in the political landscape. The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that registered voters would back Democrats over Republicans by 41 percent to 37 percent if congressional elections were held today, highlighting the political risks facing Trump and his party ahead of November’s midterm elections.

For many Americans, the boos that greeted Trump at the NBA Finals may have symbolized more than frustration over security delays. They reflect broader public anger over the economic fallout of the war with Iran. A Moody’s Analytics estimate put the economic cost of the Iran war at around $100 billion, or roughly $750 per US household.