Most Americans Say Iran War Was a Mistake | POLL
A New York Times/Siena poll released Monday finds the Iran war has become a defining political liability for President Trump, with his approval rating sinking to its lowest point of his second term.
The American public's verdict on the Iran war is in and it is damning. A New York Times/Siena College poll published Monday finds that most voters believe President Donald Trump made the wrong decision in going to war with Iran, delivering a stark political warning to the White House as the conflict grinds on and its costs mount at home.
Most voters think Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran, the poll found, leaving the Republican Party on rocky political footing heading into the midterm elections. Majorities of voters said the war was not worth the costs and held deeply pessimistic views about the economy. Trump's approval rating has sunk to a second-term low of 37 percent amid the deeply unpopular conflict.
A War That Never Had Public Support
The findings are consistent with a broader pattern that has marked this conflict from the very beginning. Unlike previous American military engagements, the Iran war never enjoyed a moment of clear majority backing. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted just days after the opening salvo of what the Trump administration dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," just 27% said they approved of the strikes.
The opposition has only deepened since. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll published earlier this month found that about six in ten Americans say using military force in Iran was a mistake, while just over one third say it was the right decision.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted May 8–11 found that just 24% of Americans say the decision to take military action in Iran has been worth it, considering both the costs and the benefits. A larger share (51%) say it has not been worth it.
Hitting Americans in the Wallet
Much of the public's discontent is being driven not by abstract geopolitical concerns, but by something far more immediate: the price of fuel. Gas prices have reached a four-year high because of the war. Half of Americans expect prices to rise even further in the next year, and four in ten say they are not as well off financially as they were when Trump returned to the White House. Nearly a quarter say they are falling behind financially.
64% of Americans say the recent increases in gas prices have affected their household's financial situation, with a large majority - 83% - expecting prices to continue to rise in the coming month. 86% of Americans say the conflict with Iran bears a great deal or fair amount of responsibility for the recent rise in prices.
A Historical Comparison
The speed with which public opinion has turned against the Iran war is historically unusual. When the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003, just 26% of Americans said going to war was a mistake. It took nearly four years of conflict and thousands of American deaths, for that figure to reach 64% in January 2007. The Iran war has reached comparable levels of opposition in a fraction of the time.
The Midterm Shadow
For Trump and the Republican Party, the political implications are significant. Trump's approval rating of 37% is a key historical predictor of how a president's party fares in midterm elections and the number is flashing red.
66% of Americans say the U.S. should work to end its involvement in the conflict quickly, even if it means not achieving all of its goals in Iran. Just 27% say the U.S. should press on until all objectives are met, even if the conflict continues for an extended period.
The message from the American public, across poll after poll, is consistent and clear: they want this war over and they are increasingly willing to hold the president accountable for starting it.