Only one in three Americans supports the U.S. war against Iran, the lowest level since the conflict began five months ago, while a majority say President Donald Trump has failed to clearly explain the objectives of the campaign, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The poll found that 69% of Americans - including four in 10 Republicans - think Trump has not "clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran."
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump will not make decisions based on "fluid opinion polls" and reiterated the president's resolve to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. "What matters most to the American people is having a commander in chief who takes bold action to keep them safe," Wales said.
Approval of the conflict has been below 40% since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on February 28 - a stark contrast to the opening months of other recent conflicts. While each had different context, the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011 had the support of about 70% of Americans in its early months. During the early days of the Afghanistan War, which lasted from 2001 to 2021, about 90% of the country backed the war, according to polling by Gallup.
