Two-thirds of Americans believe President Donald Trump's military decisions in the war against Iran have damaged the United States, according to a new CNN poll released July 29, 2026. Only 21 percent said his military actions have helped the country.
The survey reflects the sharpest decline in support for the five-month-old conflict since its beginning. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted July 31 found that only one in three Americans support the ongoing military operation, the lowest level of backing since the war's early days.
The collapse in support extends across party lines. A Quinnipiac University poll from July 29 found that 60 percent of voters now oppose U.S. military action in Iran. Among independents surveyed by Reuters/Ipsos, 67 percent disapprove of the war, with only a quarter supporting it.
Voter skepticism extends to Trump's strategic vision. In the most recent CNN survey, 74 percent of Americans say Trump does not have a clear plan for handling Iran — up from 67 percent in March. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 69 percent of Americans believe Trump has failed to "clearly explain the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran."
Trump's overall approval rating has hit 34 percent, matching the career low he reached at the close of his first term following the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Half of all Americans now strongly disapprove of him, a record high, with only 15 percent strongly approving.
The Iran war began in early March 2026 after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Trump initially predicted the conflict would end within four weeks. The campaign has now stretched five months with repeated cycles of military escalation followed by diplomatic pauses and last-minute strike cancellations, with Trump calling off planned attacks as recently as late July after Saudi Arabia and other regional powers urged de-escalation.
A majority of Americans express concern about long-term commitment. Seventy-one percent oppose Congress authorizing $200 billion in funding for further military action, as the Pentagon has proposed. Sixty-eight percent oppose sending ground troops into Iran.
