President Donald Trump arrived in Grand Island, Nebraska, confronting a political problem that Republican promises have not made disappear: punishing fuel costs. Supporters at his Monday night rally said plainly that they want him to do more.

With less than one month remaining before Election Day, Trump rallied alongside incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. The former governor faces an unexpectedly competitive challenge from independent Dan Osborn, who is backed by Democrats.

The economic pressure was impossible to miss. Nebraska gas averaged $4.21 per gallon Monday, according to AAA, while diesel averaged $5.99 per gallon, burdening farmers who depend on the fuel to run machinery.

Trump put the issue at the center of his appearance. During his remarks, he signed an executive order waiving the off road requirement for tax free red dyed diesel, which he said would save Nebraskans money.

Trump aide Natalie Harp carried the order onto the stage for his signature. Trump then suggested the action should help Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen, who is seeking another term.

“So, Pete and Jim, this should absolutely assure your election, I guarantee you,” Trump said as he prepared to sign the document.

Trump also defended the war in Iran, despite its role in driving fuel costs higher, and insisted the conflict would soon end. He predicted oil prices would fall when that happened.

“That will end very quickly, one way or the other, very soon, maybe a little after the election, maybe a little before, but it’s going to end very soon,” Trump said. “When that happens, the oil will come tumbling down.”

The president recalled seeing Iowa gas stations advertising prices of $1.95 and $1.85 per gallon. “We’ll have it lower than that in a very short period of time,” he promised Nebraska voters.

The last time United States gas prices reached those levels was during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and, before that, in February 2016. Trump nevertheless told the crowd Monday that “all your prices have been tumbling down.”

Several rally attendees described a much harsher reality. Wendy Munsen, 50, a Nebraska resident whose husband is a farmer, called gas prices “bad” and “very high.”

“The cost to put the diesel in the trucks to haul the corn, I mean, it’s really putting a burden on them,” Munsen told MS NOW. Wearing a sequin MAGA jacket, she also declared, “I love Donald Trump.”

But her support came with a blunt demand for action. “Bring us back to affordable living,” Munsen said. “We’re Nebraskans, we need affordable living back. The economy really needs to change.”

Munsen also said Trump bears some responsibility for the tight Senate contest. “It’s the domino effect because of what Trump’s doing in office, it’s kind of trickling down so they’re losing faith in the Republican Party.”

Katrina Rainford, 55, of Doniphan, Nebraska, said current diesel prices are “pretty crazy.” Rainford works in agriculture and is married to a farmer.

“It’s going to be a big issue this fall, for sure, for a lot of people,” Rainford said. Antonio Silver, a 68 year old Grand Island resident who previously worked at a post office, was similarly direct: “I wish he’d do more.”

Trump also faces frustration over his decision to temporarily suspend tariffs on beef imports, which has roiled cattle ranchers across Nebraska. Ricketts was among those who objected when the decision was announced.

Val Herber, a 69 year old retired nurse from Nebraska, criticized the move while waiting in line for the rally. “I think he needs to reconsider that. We need to support our American farmers, our Nebraska farmers and ranchers,” she said. “He needs to focus on American beef.”

Recent polls have shown Ricketts within a few percentage points of Osborn. Trump won Nebraska by 20 percentage points in 2024, while Republican Sen. Deb Fischer defeated Osborn by just under 7 percentage points that year.

Trump is campaigning across traditionally Republican states to help vulnerable Senate candidates and preserve the party’s majority. In Nebraska, he urged supporters to vote as though his own name were still on the ballot.

“Just remember, I’m running,” Trump said with a chuckle. “Even if you have to pretend, say Trump, because in a true way I am running. We have to keep it going.”