A MAGA senator is getting torched by voters after telling Americans to suck up soaring gas prices—while comparing the Iran crisis to the U.S. role in defeating the Nazis.
Kansas Republican Roger Marshall made the eyebrow-raising analogy during a Tuesday appearance on Newsmax, where he defended the spiraling economic fallout tied to the conflict—including rising fuel costs triggered by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
With gas prices nationwide ballooning to an average of $4.19 a gallon and the conflict dragging into its seventh week, the host pressed Marshall, 65, on how long Americans would tolerate the financial hit.
The senator responded with a history lesson.
“Could you imagine trying to tell the president, ‘Look, you’ve only got so many days to defeat Hitler or defeat Japan?’” Marshall said, invoking World War II. He added that Americans should brace for uncertainty: “We have to do it till we get the outcome that we want.”
Marshall’s comments sparked immediate backlash online, with critics accusing him of being wildly out of touch with constituents already feeling squeezed by rising costs.
“Roger Marshall is worthless,” one user wrote. “I have my doubts it will happen, but as a Kansan, I really hope we vote this t-rd out.”
Another piled on, calling for the senator to be voted out ahead of the looming November midterm elections: “Roger, in most other states, these would be your last days in office. Hopefully we can make it come true here in Kansas.”
Others zeroed in on the comparison itself, arguing that likening Iran to Nazi Germany was both historically and politically absurd.
“Hitler was committing genocide and conquering Western Europe. Iran is not a threat of that magnitude. Terrible comparison,” one critic wrote, noting that the U.S. formally declared war during WWII with prior congressional approval—unlike the current conflict.
Another user flipped Marshall’s analogy on its head: “Iran isn’t Nazi Germany… Iran didn’t attack us, we attacked them.”
The outrage comes as Americans grapple with the mounting economic toll of the conflict. The White House had initially suggested the situation could wrap up within four to five weeks—but the war has now blown past that estimate with no clear end in sight.
Meanwhile, the broader economic strain is only intensifying. In addition to higher energy costs, thousands of federal workers have gone unpaid amid a prolonged government shutdown, which has left more than 27,000 of Marshalls’ own constituents without pay for the past nine weeks.
The senator, however, showed little sympathy.
“I’m sorry the gas prices are going up,” he said. “But help is on its way, and your national security, yes, is even more important than your pocketbook.”
That remark only poured fuel on the fire.
Critics quickly pointed out the disconnect between Marshall’s message and the financial reality facing everyday Americans. According to OpenSecrets, the senator’s net worth is estimated at roughly $7 million—a figure that didn’t go unnoticed by his detractors.
“Roger Marshall is a disgrace to the state of Kansas,” one constituent wrote. “If he feels that way, why doesn’t he send each of us Kansans a gas voucher on his dime?”
Marshall’s comments also drew fire from fellow lawmakers, including Delaware Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, 64, who slammed his disregard for the growing financial strain on Americans as “unbelievable.”
The conflict itself is already carrying a hefty price tag. Early Defense Department estimates put costs at roughly $11 billion within the first 100 hours alone.
Still, Marshall insisted the pricey defense strategy is worth it. He pointed to actions taken under President Donald Trump, including efforts to tighten control around the Strait of Hormuz, as signs the U.S. is edging closer to what he called an “end game” for the conflict.
