A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only one in three Americans support the ongoing war with Iran—the lowest level of support since the conflict began five months ago. Most respondents believe President Donald Trump has failed to clearly communicate his objectives. The survey, conducted from Friday through Sunday, reveals a slight increase in Trump’s approval rating to 37%, up three points from last month, which marked his lowest approval during his presidency.
Support for the conflict remains fragile, with only about a third of Americans backing the war effort. Trump has provided inconsistent explanations for the conflict, including claims that it aims to help Iranians overthrow their government, disable Iran’s ballistic missile programs, and prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Despite these statements, 69% of Americans—including 40% of Republicans—agree that Trump has not effectively communicated the goals of US military involvement in Iran.
Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, emphasized that Trump will not alter his decisions based on fluctuating polls and reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “What’s most important to Americans is having a leader who takes decisive action to keep them safe,” she said.
Since the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28, public approval for the war has consistently remained below 40%. This contrasts sharply with the early support seen during previous conflicts, such as the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011, when about 70% of Americans supported the military intervention, and during the initial days of the Afghanistan War from 2001 to 2021, with backing reaching 90%.
The disapproval of the ongoing war is impacting Trump and the Republican Party as they head into the midterm elections in November. Many Americans remain unsure about why the US engaged in the conflict; for instance, Alex Womack, a retired turbine repair technician from Stockbridge, Georgia, and a former Marine who supported George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War, admits he has no idea why the US started this war. His support for Trump has waned due to the conflict, and he now feels Trump isn’t handling it well.
To this point, 18 American soldiers have lost their lives in the fight, while thousands have died in Iran and Lebanon, where Iran-backed fighters oppose Israeli forces. The war has also spiked gasoline prices, a financial burden for many Americans, with the national average exceeding $4 per gallon—up from about $3 before the conflict began.
Political strategist Alex Conant points out that this economic pressure complicates the White House’s messaging, as officials have been emphasizing economic arguments since January. However, these efforts become difficult amid the ongoing focus on foreign policy issues.
In the latest survey, independent voters favor Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by 36% to 20% and also prefer Democrats on economic policies.
Former President Trump has campaigned on avoiding prolonged wars, initially estimating the Iran conflict would last about four to five weeks. He has also criticized comparisons to longer conflicts like Vietnam, which resulted in over 58,000 American deaths over two decades. Independent voter Rhyan Anderson from Georgia, who supported Trump in 2024 but voted for Biden in 2020, suggests Trump should prioritize domestic issues rather than aid Israel or other allies.
Since mid-March, the poll shows American support for military strikes on Iran at around 37%, compared to 27% support on the day the war started, with roughly 29% undecided. The survey, conducted online among 1,246 adults nationwide, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.