AP-NORC Poll Shows Most Americans Say Iran War Is Not Worth Fighting
Most Americans now say the war with Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a new AP-NORC poll that shows President Donald Trump facing broad public skepticism over one of the biggest foreign policy fights of his second term.
The poll found 64 percent of U.S. adults say the war has not been worth fighting, while 33 percent say it has been worth fighting. The survey was conducted July 23 through 27 among 1,165 adults.
Trump’s approval on Iran also remains weak. AP reported that 28 percent of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling Iran, down from 34 percent last month. Among Republicans, approval stood at 61 percent, down from 71 percent in June, though AP noted the Republican margin of error makes that a slight decline.
The poll lands amid a continuing fight over presidential war powers. CBS News reported that the Senate rejected a recent measure to rein in Trump’s Iran war powers after the House adopted a separate resolution rebuking the president over the conflict.
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The clearest public concern is practical. AP-NORC found 72 percent of adults say preventing U.S. oil and gas prices from rising is an extremely or very important foreign policy goal, while 70 percent say the same about negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Iran.
That matters because the political debate is no longer only about Iran’s nuclear program or regional security. It is also about whether Americans believe the cost of the war is justified at home.
Public reaction has focused on voter frustration over the war’s cost, the risk of higher gas prices, and whether Congress should do more to limit presidential war powers. AP quoted voters raising concerns about trust, affordability, and the lack of a clear end point, while lawmakers opposing the conflict have pointed to recent war powers votes as evidence of growing resistance to Trump’s Iran policy.
The next question is whether public opposition changes congressional behavior. For now, the war powers votes show pressure on Trump, but not enough to fully constrain his Iran policy.
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