Now, nearly a week after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had conducted airstrikes against military targets in Iran, multiple polls show that the move is pretty unpopular with Americans.
This week Audacy reported that the strikes were not very popular with young voters. It seems that story holds true for most of the country as well.
Let’s start with CNN polling results released Tuesday. That poll found that 56% of Americans disapprove of the strikes, compared to 44% who approve.
“Most distrust Trump’s decision-making on the use of force in Iran, with about six in 10 worried that the strikes will increase the Iranian threat to the U.S.,” CNN said.
Axios then reported on Tyson Group polling of 1,227 Americans from this Wednesday and Thursday. Those results showed that 46% disapproved of the airstrikes, compared to 43% who approved. However, the total picture is a bit complicated.
“When voters understand the strategic rationale behind the strikes, support increases,” said pollster Ryan Tyson, head of the Tyson Group, which conducted the survey, according to Axios.
Per the outlet, “broad support for military action that the survey found among Republicans and self-identified MAGA voters suggested that the divisions within Trump's base over Iran were more talk than reality.” An Associated Press report from this week noted that some high-profile members of the MAGA world – Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon – have all criticized the strikes.
Still, the Tyson poll showed that 75% of voters think that despite the Israel-Iran ceasefire, the conflict could escalate into a wider war. In fact, 46% think some sort of Iranian attack on U.S. soil is now likely and 45% believe the strikes didn't make the U.S. safer, compared to 36% who said they did.
Finally, The Washington Post texted 1,000 people Monday about the U.S. attack on Iran.
It found that the “airstrikes remain unpopular, but support has grown from a similar poll last week, with Republican support surging after Trump ordered the strikes.”
As for the latest developments regarding tension in the Middle East, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made some dubious claims this week about the fighting between Iran, Israel and the U.S. that Trump addressed in a Friday Truth Social post.
“Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie,” said Trump. “His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’”
He went on to say that he convinced Israel to turn around planes headed to Tehran that were “looking for a big day, perhaps the final knockout!”
“Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them. They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them - A burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them,” said Trump. “They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!”