Trump's Iran policy approval stays low in latest AP-NORC poll

A new AP-NORC poll conducted June 11-17 found that roughly 34% of U.S. adults approve of President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran, matching the level recorded in May. At the same time, overall presidential approval held steady at 37%.

The survey indicates that 65% of respondents disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, with disapproval sharply divided along party lines: most Democrats and independents expressed negative views, while only 28% of Republicans said they were unhappy.

The poll was fielded just after Trump announced a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the U.S. naval blockade, and restart nuclear negotiations with Tehran. The agreement allows Iran to sell oil without tolls for two months and calls for Tehran to reduce its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Public reaction to the deal was mixed. One Republican-leaning independent from Texas said the agreement “doesn’t have any love lost” for Iran but criticized the focus on the strait rather than nuclear issues, describing the concession as “fluff.” Another independent, also from Texas, expressed frustration that the war’s original objective – removing the Iranian regime – remains unattainable.

More than half of respondents (53%) said U.S. military action against Iran had “gone too far,” a slight decline from earlier this year. About 40% of Republicans felt the action was “about right,” while 37% believed it had not gone far enough.

The poll also measured approval of Trump’s handling of Israel and the economy, each receiving about one-third approval. Among Republicans, approval of the president’s economic policies fell to 69%, below the 78% who approve of his overall presidency.

The AP-NORC poll surveyed 3,040 adults using the AmeriSpeak panel, a probability-based sample designed to represent the U.S. population, with a margin of error of ±2.8 percentage points.