Only one in four Americans think the president’s cost is justified, while a majority say the truce with Tehran is unlikely to last, according to Reuters/Ipsos.
Trump’s popularity plummets
The poll, which was conducted over five days and ended on Monday, also showed the war taking a big toll on Trump’s popularity, with his approval rating slipping to 34 percent, his second-term lowest since last seen in April.
Only 23 percent of Americans — including just half of Republicans — believe the U.S. is in a stronger position against Iran today than it was before the war, the survey found. 35% believe they are in a weaker position, while the rest said they are not sure or that the US position remains about the same.
Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezheskian signed a preliminary deal on June 17 that would reopen oil and gas corridors frozen by the conflict while easing U.S. economic pressure on Iran.
The deal led to a sharp drop in international crude oil prices, although for most Americans gasoline prices remain significantly higher than they were before the February 28 US-Israeli attacks that sparked the war.
Iran responded to the initial attack with strikes that disrupted a fifth of the world’s oil trade and damaged energy infrastructure of US allies in the region.
The majority believe that the war with Iran has cost too much
Only 24% of Americans think the war with Iran was worth the cost, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. 50% answered that it was not worth it, while the rest were undecided.
63% of Americans consider it unlikely that the agreement signed by Trump will lead to lasting peace between the two countries. About half of Republicans and eight in ten Democrats believe the deal will not bring peace. Only 18% of Americans — including 10% of Democrats and 34% of Republicans — think lasting peace is likely.
Trump won the 2024 election by promising to reduce inflation and avoid costly wars for the US. His political image has been based for years on his role as a negotiator, coming from the field of real estate and television.
Cost of living drops Trump rates
Trump’s approval rating on the cost-of-living issue is at 22 percent, near the lowest levels of his tenure, lower than that of his predecessor, Joe Biden, at the end of his presidency.
Trump began his new term with an approval rating of 47 percent, but his popularity has slumped amid high inflation and a backlash over his tough immigration policy, which has sparked deadly clashes with pro-immigrant activists.
His drop in popularity could affect Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, where they will defend their majority in Congress.
According to the poll, just 37% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, the lowest of his term and down from 40% in the previous survey.
