One-third of Americans have changed their Fourth of July plans due to high gas prices, an Emerson College Poll released Friday found.
The survey, taken June 28-29 among 1,271 registered voters, found that 33 percent have actively changed their travel plans this holiday weekend due to consistently high gas prices.
“Regarding airfare, 18% have changed plans because of issues with plane travel,” the survey found.
The results come as gas prices remain high, standing at an average of $4.842 on Friday after reaching an all-time high of $5.016 on June 14. Even so, gas prices are still well over $2.40 higher than on former President Donald Trump’s last full day in office on January 19, 2021. At the time, the gas price average stood at $2.38.
Not only that, but the cost of throwing a Fourth of July weekend cookout has jumped drastically, up 17 percent from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF):
Survey results showed the retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef at $11.12, up 36% from last year. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department’s Producer Price Index indicates that compared to a year ago, farm-level cattle prices are up 17.5%, but wholesale beef prices are down 14%. This serves to highlight the differences between farm-level, wholesale and retail beef prices and how the events of the last few years have had significant impacts on the beef production and cattle pricing cycles, making them all hard to predict.
Several other foods in the survey, including chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, fresh-squeezed lemonade, pork & beans, hamburger buns and cookies, also increased in price.
Joe Biden works the grill at the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry on September 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
A recent YouGov/CBS News Poll showed a majority of Americans indicated that the rising cost of food is affecting them “a lot.”
“Fireworks are not the only thing exploding this holiday, as prices are soaring higher than any bottle rocket,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
“Joe Biden’s reckless agenda has made it more difficult for Americans to spend time with family, friends, and celebrate Independence Day. The American dream is slipping away because of Biden’s reckless agenda,” she added.
