A majority of American voters believe President Donald Trump's war with Iran was not worth its cost, according to a new survey. Ahead of November's midterm elections, the Middle East conflict is dragging down Trump's approval rating.
According to the Financial Times (FT) on Friday, 58% of registered voters said the war was not worth the cost in a survey conducted last week by polling firm Focaldata. Forty-four percent of voters said the war left the United States in a weaker position toward Iran, while 31% said America's standing had strengthened. The White House has asked Congress to approve a new federal budget of $67 billion (about 103 trillion won) to cover the cost of the war.
In the survey, conducted ahead of a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit this week in Ankara, Turkey, 53% of voters said the United States should remain a NATO member, while only 23% supported withdrawal. Trump has threatened to withdraw from NATO for years. Earlier this year, he called NATO a "paper tiger" and criticized European allies that refused to join the military operation against Iran.
Independents Turn Away: Trump's Approval Drops 8 Points in a Month to 21%
The results, coming four months before the November midterms, arrive at a vulnerable moment for Trump. Control of both the House and Senate is at stake in the midterms. Although a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran holds, Trump faces domestic criticism over his handling of the Middle East conflict, including from within his own Republican Party.
The United States and Iran reached a tentative agreement last month to extend the months-long ceasefire. The deal, which included concessions to Iran, angered many Republicans. But retaliatory attacks soon followed, reigniting regional tensions. The two sides agreed over the weekend to halt hostilities and hold further negotiations.
In the FT survey, voters were largely skeptical of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran. About two-thirds, or 66%, said the agreement would have little effect on peace and stability in the Middle East or would instead increase instability. Only one in five said it would lead to peace.
The conflict has significantly pushed up consumer prices, including gasoline, this year, continuing to pressure the president's approval rating. Only 36% said they approve of Trump's handling of his job, down 2 percentage points from the previous month. The decline was steeper among independents, whose approval fell to just 21%, down 8 percentage points from a month earlier.
The survey showed Democrats holding a stronger position for the midterms. Asked which party's candidate they would support in congressional elections, respondents favored Democrats by 6 percentage points, with 44% backing Democrats and 38% Republicans. A month earlier, the Democratic lead was 4 percentage points.
There were positive signs for Republicans as well. When asked to rate their intention to vote in November on a scale of 1 to 10, three-quarters of Republican-leaning respondents gave a score of 8 or higher. The figure was 69% among Democrats and 56% among independents.
Meanwhile, the FT survey was conducted online by Focaldata, a London-based nonpartisan research firm, from the 26th to the 30th of last month. It reflected the views of 1,795 registered voters, with a margin of error of ±2.7 percentage points.
