Iran War undercuts Trump's economic boasts

Rising oil and gas prices triggered by the U.S. conflict with Iran are undercutting President Donald Trump’s long‑running claims of a booming American economy.The energy shock is hitting just as inflation remains stubborn and the Federal Reserve weighs whether higher costs have closed the door on interest‑rate cuts this year.Households and businesses are already feeling the impact through higher fuel prices and growing uncertainty, with economists warning the economic fallout could linger well beyond the war itself.Prior to the war beginning on February 28, the health of the U.S. economy—though questioned by many experts—had been a point of pride for the administration. ...The story from the White House podium was that markets, business and consumers were, under Trump's watch, thriving—a fact that justified the president awarding himself an "A+++++" grade on this key issue.Trump’s ‘Booming Economy’ Case Before the WarOnly days before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran which kicked off the conflict, Trump used his State of the Union address to celebrate America’s "stunning" revival to an economy "roaring like never before," and to insist that the affordability crisis—one either manufactured by his opponents or caused by his predecessor—was over.While the president has continued to strike a similar tone in