Poll Suggests Iran War Is Deeply Divisive as Voters Express Worries About Economy, Rationale for Strikes

President Trump says the United States is close to achieving its goals in Iran, but voters are giving him poor marks on the strikes, though he maintains strong support among Republicans. A new poll released Sunday found broad concern that the war will keep driving up gas prices and hurting the economy, with no clear end in sight.Mr. Trump launched strikes on Iran on the last day of February, keeping Congress and many American allies in the dark before acting. More than three weeks into the conflict, voters say they are already feeling the economic effects.A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows that Americans are not buying the White House’s argument that the war will bring short-term pain but long-term economic benefits. Overall, 43 percent say the war is going well, while 57 percent say it is going poorly. The poll also found that 92 percent of Americans believe a main goal should be to end the conflict as quickly as possible.The war has grown less popular as it has unfolded in the last few weeks. When CBS and YouGov first polled Americans about the war in early March, 44 percent approved of the attacks while 56 percent opposed the strikes. Now, 60 percent disapprove of the strikes compared to 40 percent who approve of the military action. Among Republicans, however, the president’s actions remain popular, with 84 percent supporting the strikes and 16 percent opposing them. Mr. Trump has not expressed a view on who he believes should take control of the country once the strikes cease. Earlier this month, he remarked that some of the people he believed would take control ended up being killed in the first days of the fighting. Now, he is threatening additional attacks on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened. On Saturday, Mr. Trump said Iran’s energy infrastructure is in his sights. “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” he wrote on Truth Social. The most important political pain for the president coming as a result of the closure of the Strait is rising gas prices here at home. According to the CBS-YouGov poll, 85 percent of Americans have seen gas prices in their communities rise just in recent weeks. An even higher number — 90 percent — say gas prices will continue to climb in the short term, while only 27 percent say that, in the long term, prices will come down as a result of the conflict. Last week, Mr. Trump berated European allies, telling them that they should be involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz, considering the importance that the trade route plays in their own economies. “For 40 years we’re protecting you and you don’t wanna get involved in something that is very minor?” Mr. Trump said at a White House event. “They said, ‘We’d rather not get involved.’”“I’ve been a big critic of all of the protecting of countries because I know that we’ll protect them and if ever needed — if we ever needed help — they wouldn’t be there for us,” he added. While European partners have thrown cold water on the idea that they would contribute military assets to a mission aimed at securing the Strait, the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte, expressed confidence that Europeans will get behind the president. “I understand the president’s frustration that it takes some time, but again, I also ask for some understanding, because nations had to prepare for this, not knowing and for good reasons about the initial attack on Iran, but now coming together to make sure that we can be able to secure the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr. Rutte told “Face the Nation” on Sunday without offering specifics. In a separate interview with Fox News Sunday, Mr. Rutte says he is working with a group of 22 countries to ensure the Strait opens and remains a safe passageway, though he did not mention any kind of military support. “We will get this done together. Actually, it is already being planned,” Mr. Rutte said. The CBS poll found that Americans do believe that Iranian leadership should not be allowed to remain in power, though by a relatively narrow margin. A majority, 53 percent, saying it would not be acceptable for the regime to remain.Americans still do not feel that the end goals have been clearly explained, however. In a CBS–YouGov poll released on March 3 — just days after the strikes began — 62 percent said the goals for the strikes had not yet been explained, while only 38 percent said they understood Mr. Trump’s desires.In the weeks since that poll was taken, it has only gotten worse for the president. Now, 68 percent say the White House has not clearly explained its goals, compared to 32 percent who felt that the goals had been explained.

Poll Suggests Iran War Is Deeply Divisive as Voters Express Worries About Economy, Rationale for Strikes

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