6 in 10 in UNH survey blame Trump for price at the pump
New Hampshire is feeling some economic indigestion at the start of the summer season, and the main culprit is gas.
Six in 10 (61%) of respondents to a new University of New Hampshire poll are worried about the current and future price of gas, and a clear majority put the blame on President Donald Trump.
Their angst over gas prices was part of an overall concern about the state of their finances with nearly half of respondents anticipating a worsening economy over the next year.
There was a tone of caution in remarks Michael Skelton, president and CEO of the state’s Business and Industry Association (BIA), offered upon release of the survey, done on the BIA’s behalf.
“Rising and volatile gas prices are adding to the economic uncertainty that consumers have been feeling for months and pose a real risk to spending and the overall health of the economy,” said Skelton, whose association is the statewide chamber of commerce and state manufacturing association.
As of this writing, the average price of a regular gallon of gas in New Hampshire was $4.41, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). A year prior it was $2.91.
Gas prices started their meteoric rise with the start of the joint U.S.-Israel Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, which immediately affected oil shipments through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz.
Less than 10% of U.S. oil imports come through the strait, where shipping traffic has all but stopped, but the chilling effect on the world oil market has had a direct impact on U.S. oil gasoline prices.
Once the conflict provocateurs come to terms, analysts say it will still be another nine to 12 months before the oil market completely sheds its nervousness and returns to its pre-conflict pulse.
Some analysts project that a full return to prices under $3 per gallon may not happen until between 2029 and 2032.
With that uncertainty, state officials are putting their best face forward with their prediction about summer tourism here in the Granite State. At an event May 21, the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA), Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD), said it expects 4.8 million visitors generating approximately $2.6 billion in visitor spending statewide during the summer season. That’s the same expectation they had for the summer of 2025.
The officials cited national data that show resilience in domestic travel, with people prioritizing vacations, outdoor recreation and time spent with family and friends. The local data from the new UNH survey showed only 12% planned to alter their vacation plans because of high gas prices.
The summer theme trumpeted by tourism officials and Gov. Kelly Ayotte was the 2026 launch of the newest New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail with 69 stops across the Granite State.
There remains from the summer of ‘25 a holdover concern about the number of visitors from Canada during the summer of ‘26. Visits by Canadians to the Granite State were down 30%, because the White House inflicted negativity about tariffs and annexation as the 51st state.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, on May 29 held a tourism roundtable in Meredith, where Lake Winnipesaukee and the Lakes Region are a big summer tourist draw.
Aboard the docked U.S.S. Winnipesaukee Spirit, she met with representatives from Mount Washington Cruises, Lakes Region Travel Association, Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, BEA, Winnipesaukee Railroad, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Gunstock Mountain Resort, Ames Farm Inn and Castle in the Clouds.
“President Trump’s insulting rhetoric and reckless tariffs are pushing visitors away from our state, while gas prices and inflation are spiking due to the war in Iran — burdening Granite State small businesses with rising costs and shrinking revenues,” Shaheen said in a statement.
