As we enter month five of Trump's military operations in Iran, American support for the president's actions is dwindling. A new poll shows that just one in three Americans outwardly support Trump's war, as others are struggling to understand his motivation in Iran.
The poll, carried out by Reuters, showed 33% of all adults approve the war, with 5% skipping the question and 62% disapproving. Republican support is unsurprisingly strongest, with 71% of adults polled saying they supported the war. However, four in ten Republicans think Trump has not "clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran" since the conflict began.
Objectives in Iran have shifted since the war first started. At the beginning, Trump encouraged the Iranian people to overthrow their leaders, but then said he wanted to take out the company's missile silos and now prevent it from acquiring nuclear weaponry.
"What matters most to the American people is having a commander in chief who takes bold action to keep them safe," said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales when asked about the poll. Compared to other recent conflicts in US history, the war in Iran polls sharply lower. In their early months, the 2003 Iraq War and 2001 Afghanistan War polled with 70% and 90% approval respectively.
