President Donald Trump has held emergency White House discussions about whether to ban diesel exports as his administration scrambles to control a fuel crisis that threatens to punish Republicans in the midterm elections.

Details leaked to the Financial Times show that Trump’s aides also raised other possible responses, including restrictions on international diesel sales. Officials in allied countries, including the U.K., have been warned about possible supply disruptions.

The talks come as Trump’s deeply unpopular war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drive gasoline prices higher. Diesel prices have reached record highs in the U.S., deepening the financial strain facing tens of millions of Americans.

The political consequences could be brutal for the president’s party. Intense voter backlash against Trump’s second term could cost Republicans control of both the House and Senate in the nationwide elections scheduled for November 3.

Despite the emergency discussions, the White House has not committed to suspending diesel exports. A White House official told the Daily Beast that “no policy decision has been made at this time” regarding such a move.

“The president wants to see gas prices at the pump fall and is evaluating all the options on the table,” the official added. “Ultimately, President Trump will make the decision that is best for the American people.”

People familiar with the discussions said major oil lobbying companies had persuaded Trump that an export ban could backfire. They warned that the policy could push prices even higher in parts of the U.S. that rely on fuel imported from the international market.

That resistance has not removed the proposal from consideration. Trump is alleged to have said over the weekend that he is “very seriously considering” a ban, leaving aides and affected industries waiting to see whether he will act.

The president could still decide to impose a ban suddenly, according to the report. The uncertainty surrounding the deliberations reflects a White House caught between pressure for dramatic intervention and warnings that intervention could make the problem worse.

“The debate goes on. We don’t have a firm sense of what he’s going to do,” a source told the Financial Times. “White House staff are thoroughly opposed to it. But this is all about Trump, and does Trump want to do something big… So [a ban is] still in play.”

Republican lawmakers from rural states are pushing Trump to take action as farmers absorb the impact of rising fuel costs. They have called for an embargo on diesel exports as a way to provide relief to American farmers.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley made that demand in a September 20 post on X. “If our govt can embargo chips to China it can embargo diesel to help American farmers & truckers,” Grassley wrote.

Grassley followed that message with an even sharper warning about the financial damage being inflicted on agriculture. “High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME,” he wrote in a subsequent post.

Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, who previously opposed banning diesel exports, acknowledged that soaring diesel prices could carry devastating electoral consequences. He said the situation could mean “Republicans could lose the majority” in November.

“We’re going to own it, whether we deserve to or not. We’re the ones in power—it’s hard to escape that,” Burchett told the Financial Times.

For Trump and congressional Republicans, the leaked talks expose an increasingly ugly choice. They can leave record diesel prices untouched, or embrace an export ban that oil lobbying companies have warned could raise prices elsewhere in the country.

The debate remains unresolved while farmers, truckers and other Americans continue confronting higher fuel costs. With control of Congress potentially at stake on November 3, Republicans are openly admitting that voters may hold the party in power responsible.