President Donald Trump said Wednesday that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after U.S. midterm elections.
Watch the president’s comments in the video player above.
Oil prices jumped more than 3% today, pushing international Brent crude past the $100 threshold for the first time since July as salvos between the U.S. and Iran escalated.
WATCH LIVE: 2026 Republican Midterm Convention | Night 1
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”
Trump, in an exchange with reporters before traveling to Dallas for the midterm Republican convention, added that he believes Iran will finally relent after the pivotal elections are held in the U.S.
“I think the war’s going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump said.
At the outset of the war, the president said it would last a matter of weeks. The war is now in its seventh month.
Trump celebrates ‘sold out’ arena for first night of GOP midterm gathering
The president said, “We’re going to have a tremendous crowd tonight” in Dallas, adding that the ticketed event is “sold out.”
WATCH: Democrats say Trump’s ‘bizarre’ convention is a distraction from his faltering presidency
“Looks very big. Looks very exciting, and we’re going to explain what we’ve done,” Trump added before boarding Air Force One.
Trump wanted the unusual midterm convention to boost excitement among Republican voters. His approval ratings have dropped over the course of this election year.
Even though he’s not on the ballot, that threatens GOP majorities in the House and Senate.
Trump insists Republicans in competitive races want to attend midterm convention
The president rejected the idea that any Republicans might want to avoid attending the midterm convention.
“Everybody’s coming to the convention. Everybody wants to come,” Trump said.
LIVE FACT CHECK: Night 1 of the Republican Midterm Convention
The president claimed the arena doesn’t have space for every politician who wants to attend. “We have room for the ones that have a close race,” he said.
However, multiple Republicans with tight contests will be at home campaigning. Among them are Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, GOP Senate nominee John Sununu of New Hampshire, and Rep. David Valadao of California, one of the most vulnerable House Republicans.
Republicans have a razor-thin House majority and have grown increasingly worried about defending their 53-47 Senate majority.
Trump delayed at Andrews as crew apparently test Air Force One emergency slide
The emergency slide of Air Force One is deployed ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to the Republican National Midterm Convention, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., September 9, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
An emergency inflated slide was visible on the side of Air Force One.
Trump told reporters on the tarmac that crews were testing the slide. He had stayed on Marine One for several minutes after arriving at Joint Base Andrews before emerging to talk to reporters.
Trump said he’s confident the aircraft is safe as he travels to Texas.
Trump won’t say whether he will pardon Michael Cohen
The president and his onetime fixer have made up since Cohen went to prison and was a key witness in a 2024 business fraud trial that resulted in Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts.
“What they did to Michael Cohen was a disgrace,” Trump said Wednesday.
Cohen spent three years in prison for federal crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss’ alleged sexual affairs. Cohen told his sentencing judge that he did Trump’s “dirty deeds” out of “blind loyalty.”
Trump noted that Cohen “recanted” and said prosecutors “forced him to say things he didn’t want to say and that he didn’t believe.”
Cohen has told CNN he has submitted a pardon application to the White House.
Asked whether he’d pardon Cohen, the president said he’s “never been asked that question” and added he appreciated that Cohen “came out and rectified the situation.”
