Just one in three Americans back Iran war, most unsure of Trump’s goals, poll finds
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- Reuters/Ipsos poll found 33% of Americans support the Iran war, the lowest reading since the conflict's early days, with 69% — including 4 in 10 Republicans — saying Trump has not clearly explained U.S. military goals.
- Trump's approval rating rose 3 points to 37% in the Friday-through-Sunday survey of 1,246 adults (margin of error ±3 points), though it still ties the lowest of his presidency.
- The conflict, launched February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes, has stayed below 40% approval throughout, compared with roughly 70% early support for the 2003 Iraq War and 90% for the early Afghanistan War.
- 18 American soldiers have died in the fighting, with thousands killed in Iran and Lebanon, and gasoline prices have climbed to just over $4 a gallon from about $3 before the war began.
- Independent voters favor Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans 36% to 20% and also prefer Democrats on economic policy — a warning sign ahead of November midterms with Republicans defending slim majorities.
- White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump won't make decisions based on "fluid opinion polls" and reiterated his resolve to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Why it matters: With 18 American soldiers dead, gas prices up roughly a dollar a gallon, and independents favoring Democrats 36% to 20%, the war is undercutting Republicans on the very economic issues the White House says it needs to win in November — and 69% of Americans now say they don't even know what the mission is for.
