Pew Research Center polling shows broad disapproval for the war in Iran, with around six in 10 Americans saying it was a mistake to use military force in Iran.
by CORY SMITH | The National News DeskPresident Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Washington. Pew Research Center polling shows broad disapproval for the war in Iran, with around six in 10 Americans saying it was a mistake to use military force in Iran.
Around the same share of Americans gave President Donald Trump poor marks for his handling of the war.. “We've wiped out their navy completely, their air force completely. We've wiped out a large percentage of their missiles and the missile launchers.”, conducted March 16-22 and released Wednesday, found that under 10% expect the war to be over in less than a month. A narrow majority of Americans, 54%, believe U.S. military action against Iran will continue for at least six more months. “We are clearly not seeing a traditional rally-around-the-flag effect, where support for the war effort and support for the president rise once we're in the conflict,” said Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. And Jones said the pressure on Trump to find an off-ramp from the war will increase the longer it continues.Americans are unhappy about rising gas prices and concerned about the billions of dollars spent on war costs and munitions, Jones said. But the potential loss of American soldiers would vault to the top of the list of concerns if the U.S. entered into a ground conflict, Jones said. He said Iran understands that and “is pretty confident that the United States is not going to do that.” Alexander Downes, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said Trump is often willing to ignore public sentiment in the pursuit of his agenda, but Downes said the high disapproval on the topic is likely to impact Trump’s thinking this time around.A person pumps gas at a BP station on March 17, 2026, in the Kensington neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. Support on the Republican side is even “relatively soft,” in the 70% range, which is concerning for Trump, Downes said. Overall, 59% of Americans say the U.S. made the wrong decision to use military force in Iran, according to the Pew Research Center.Disapproval stands at 90% among Democrats and Democratic leaning independents. On the flip side, 69% of Republicans and Republican leaners approve of Trump’s handling of the war. But there’s a split within Republican support, as 79% of those who consider themselves Republicans voice approval but just 52% of Republican leaners do.Most Democrats, 68%, think the war will continue for at least six months or more.Jones said Trump can’t win back public support, so his best option is to find an acceptable way to end the war soon. Jones said the war will have a negative impact on Republican performances in the November midterms. The question is simply how big the impact will be. “If you're a Republican U.S. House candidate in a purple, light blue or even light pink district, you have to be sweating bullets,” Jones said. Downes said there’s also growing unhappiness among some Republican lawmakers who feel they can’t get a clear answer out of the Pentagon or the administration about the war goals.Regime change should not be among those objectives, Downes said. Trump should focus first and foremost on efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program, Downes said. Restrictions on ballistic missiles and Iranian support for terrorist proxies can be negotiated separately, he said.But Downes was critical of some of Trump’s efforts to tame oil prices, calling the lifting of sanctions on both“The longer the war continues with no end in sight and no Iranian concessions, the greater the consequences will be for the midterm elections, largely because of the war's effect on the economy,” Downes said.Authorities in Pierce County have seized large quantities of illegal drugs following a lengthy investigation, officials said.Members of the Pierce County SherifA growing number of residents and business owners in D.C.'s Navy Yard say they are fed up with repeated teen takeovers.Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor A fifth grader from Minneapolis received the Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
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