A majority of Americans say they oppose the U.S. military action in Iran and President DonaldTrump’s handling of his now seven-day-old war, according to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
The poll said 56% of Americans oppose the U.S. operation in Iran and 44% favor it. Additionally, 36% of Americans polled say they approve of the president’s handling of Iran. Among respondents, 55% think Iran represents a minor threat or no threat to the United States.
The joint poll released March 6 surveyed 1,591 Americans between March 2 and 4, just days after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran early on Feb. 28, in a campaign that killed the nation’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The joint attacks have also killed dozens of Iran’s top officials, and hit more than 1,250 targets inside the country.
Trump said the strikes were intended to eliminate “imminent threats” from Iran and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Congressional Democrats have questioned whether Iran posed an imminent threat and worry that the conflict could spiral into an extended regional war. Meanwhile, a majority of Republican leaders heavily support Trump and his administration’s military actions.
Of those surveyed in the PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 44% said they see Iran as a major threat. Another 40% view Iran as a minor threat to U.S. security, and 15% see Iran as no threat at all.
Meanwhile, a majority of Republican leaders heavily support Trump and his administration’s military actions.
This poll is the latest in a series that reveal Trump’s war with Iran is polling badly, has kicked up gas prices, and forced uncertainty into a stock market that the administration repeatedly cites as a bright spot in an otherwise unstable economy.
More than 1,000 civilians have also been killed in the conflict, including an estimated 175 students and staff at a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. A preliminary U.S. military investigation concluded it was caused by an American air strike, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.
With Operation Epic Fury entering a second week, the poll shows the U.S. presence is sharply divided along party lines.
A strong majority of Republicans polled support both President Trump‘s approach (79%) and the attacks overall (84%), similar to responses among the mostly united GOP leadership in Congress. Republican majorities (with some Democratic support) in both the House and Senate this week refused to pass war powers resolutions to remove U.S. forces from the Middle East.
Meanwhile, 86% of Democrats polled oppose both Trump’s approach and the attacks and war. Among Independent voters, 61% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the current state of affairs and oppose his military action.
Besides political affiliations, other demographic factors influenced opinions about the U.S. military actions in Iran, including respondents’ age, race, and education, the PBS News/NPR/Marist poll showed.
Young people, between 18 and 29, were the most likely of any age group (64%) to oppose the military action.
Young people polled who are also registered voters have the lowest approval of Trump on his handling of Iran. This includes 25% of 18- to 29-year-old respondents, 35% of those between 30 and 44, and 41% of people 45 and older.
White people without college degrees were slightly more in favor of the military action (53% supported, 46% opposed), the poll said. Those with college degrees were more likely to oppose the military action (61%), whereas White people with degrees support it (38%).
Men were more likely than women to support the U.S. military action, the poll said. Men were nearly split (48% in favor, 52% opposed), while more women were against it (41% in support, 59% against), the poll showed.
Also, those polled who are Black (68%) and Latino (60%) were more likely than their White counterparts (52%) to oppose the military actions, the poll noted.
The joint poll of 1,591 U.S. adults was conducted by phone, text, and online. It has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.