Support for Trump's Iran War Strategy Declines Among Republicans, New Poll Shows
A recent CNN/SSRS poll finds growing U.S. opposition to the Iran conflict and decreasing approval of President Trump's handling, with Republican support falling to 60%.
A CNN/SSRS poll released this week indicates that American opposition to the war in Iran has intensified, with nearly two-thirds of respondents saying the United States is not winning the conflict. Overall approval of President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign affairs dropped to 29%, the lowest level recorded in CNN polling across his two terms, while 71% disapprove.
Approval of Trump’s specific management of the Iran war fell to 26%, down from 33% a month after the conflict began. Among Republicans, support slipped from 73% in March to 60%, and younger Republicans and those not identifying with the Make America Great Again movement now show majority disapproval. About half of Republicans now believe Trump’s foreign-policy decisions have helped America’s standing in the world, a 13-point decline since March.
Three-quarters of all adults say the president lacks a clear plan for the Iran situation, and 78% say he is not doing enough to end the war. Seventy percent believe the conflict is likely to become long-term, with 32% viewing that outcome as very likely—the highest share since the war began.
The poll also shows broad consensus that the war has harmed U.S. interests (70% to 18%) and is not worth the human or financial costs (76%). Democrats and independents are overwhelmingly negative, while Republicans are more divided, with 55% saying the war has been worth its costs and 53% believing Trump is doing enough to end it. Nevertheless, 70% of Trump’s partisans think the United States is winning, compared with 31% of independents and 13% of Democrats.
Approval ratings for members of the president’s war cabinet remain low: Secretary of State Marco Rubio 40%, Vice President JD Vance 36%, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth 34%. Among Republicans, Rubio and Vance retain higher support (81% and 79% respectively), while Hegseth’s approval is lower, especially among non-MAGA Republicans.
Views on other countries show little change for Russia and China, but shifts for Ukraine, Cuba, Canada and Israel. Favorability toward Ukraine fell from 76% to 70%, while favorable views of Cuba rose to 26%. Perceived alliance with Canada dropped from 51% to 38%, and favorable perception of Israel fell to 61% with 15% now labeling it an enemy—the highest share in CNN polling since 2000.