New Poll Shows Vast Majority of Americans Believe US-Israeli War on Iran Is Not Worth Fighting

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, October 1 in Washington, DC [Jacquelyn Martin/AP]

Approximately 70 percent of US adults in a new nationwide poll say the US-Israeli war has not been worth fighting, marking a five-point spike since July. According to the survey released on Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 71 percent of adults disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling Iran, while 69 percent state the conflict has not been worth the cost.

The poll, which surveyed more than 2,000 adults in the US, also revealed deep public frustration with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy and rising prices. Only 17 percent of US adults polled approve of his management of the cost of living, and just 26 percent approve of his overall handling of the economy, setting a new low.

Public anxiety over fuel costs has also surged, with about half of respondents now deeply concerned about their ability to fill their vehicle tanks—an increase from 39 percent in July. Roughly half of the respondents also expressed high concern regarding their ability to afford food.

This data emerges as President Donald Trump initiates his midterm campaign trail in an effort to galvanize the Republican base, stopping first in Texas and Oklahoma amid widespread voter anxiety over the mounting economic fallout from the war on Iran. Despite this frustration, the poll indicated that two-thirds of surveyed Republicans believe higher than usual prices stem from factors outside of President Donald Trump's control, while about one-third attribute them directly to his policies. These somber figures suggest the president remains broadly unpopular nationally, with some Republicans also criticizing him for failing to deliver promised financial relief.

Overall, more than half of adult respondents stated that the national economy and the country as a whole are worse off since President Donald Trump assumed office again in 2025. In an interview with TIME magazine published on Thursday, President Donald Trump was asked if the deeply unpopular war threatens his party’s chances in November. He initially responded, “It’s possible,” before asserting that “it should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.” Confronted with the sliding poll numbers, President Donald Trump claimed that “pollsters are corrupt” and that the negative polls “are fake,” adding that he would defeat any opponent today “by 20 points.”