Inflation still has room to run, experts fear

Published May 18, 2026 5:00am ET | Updated May 18, 2026 7:50am ET



After two painful inflation reports this week, some economists think that inflation could push even higher in the coming months — bad news for consumers and for President Donald Trump.

The war in Iran and subsequent energy price increases have pushed up headline inflation to levels not seen since 2023. And a big question on the minds of economists, consumers, and politicians is whether it has peaked or if it could keep getting worse.

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