As autumn approaches, energy analysts are sounding a quiet but persistent alarm: gas prices are set to rise sharply, and the disruption is expected to outlast November's midterm elections. The forecast places the Trump administration in the uncomfortable position of defending optimistic economic messaging against the daily, tangible evidence consumers will encounter at the pump. Markets and political calendars rarely align with convenience, and this moment appears to be no exception — the structural nature of the supply problem suggests that relief will not arrive before voters cast their ball