Public Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy

A joint NPR/PBS/Marist poll finds 56% of Americans oppose current U.S. military action in Iran and 54% disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the situation, with sharp partisan divides—about 79% of Republicans approve of his handling and 84% support the strikes, while roughly 86% of Democrats oppose both and about six in 10 independents disapprove and oppose the action. The poll also finds 44% now view Iran as a major threat to U.S. security (down from 48% last July), 40% see it as a minor threat and 15% no threat at all, notes that support for U.S. action has been relatively steady since January, and reports Trump’s Iran-handling approval at about 36%, down six points from January 2020 after the Soleimani strike.