In a country that can barely agree on pizza toppings, Americans have somehow found common ground on one thing: they are really not into this whole Iran situation. A poll from the Associated Press and NORC, as Conservative Brief reported, found that nearly two thirds of U.S. adults think the military conflict with Iran simply is not worth it. So congratulations, Iran war, you managed to unite a divided nation... against you.
The numbers paint a pretty grim picture for anyone trying to sell this campaign to the public. Only 23% of folks support keeping military operations going. Among Democrats, that figure drops to a microscopic 4%, which is roughly the same percentage of people who enjoy airplane food. Independents were also unenthusiastic, and even Republicans could only muster 48% support for continuing the whole thing. When you cannot even get half your own party on board, that is what professionals call "a problem."
Perhaps the most eye popping stat is the erosion happening inside Trump's own base. Republican approval of his Iran strategy plummeted from 71% in June down to 61% by late July, a 10 point nosedive in just one month. Democrats went from an already hilariously low 8% approval to 4%. Independents slid from 22% to 17%. Every single group moved in the same direction, and that direction was "nope."
The survey interviewed 1,165 adults between July 23 and 27, which happened to be the tail end of a 13 night military campaign against Iran. By the time they stopped collecting responses on July 27, operations had paused. Then fighting picked back up the very next day, meaning opinions could have shifted even further after the poll closed. Talk about unfortunate timing for the administration's PR department.
Trump's overall job approval also took a hit, sliding from 37% in June to 33% in July. Meanwhile, 37% of Republicans said the Iran conflict was not worth fighting, alongside 87% of Democrats and 68% of independents who felt the same way.
Congress is not exactly rallying behind the effort either. Four Republican senators crossed the aisle to back an Iran war powers resolution alongside Democrats. The House passed a second one with some GOP support, and the Senate has been exploring bipartisan ways to rein in the administration's military authority. When members of your own party start legislating limits on your war, the vibes are officially off.
But the White House is unbothered. Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the president cares about security, not polling data. She declared that bold action is keeping Americans safe, cited Iran killing soldiers and firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and referenced a violated memorandum of understanding, though she conveniently skipped the specifics on that one.
Eighteen American military personnel have lost their lives during this conflict. That is the part of this story where nobody should be laughing, and the number that makes all those polling figures feel a lot heavier.
Like what you see? Then sign up for our Free Newsletter
