Americans view the U.S. military campaign against Iran along partisan lines, according to a Pew Research Center report released on Wednesday.
Democrats overwhelmingly oppose both the decision to strike Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of the military campaign, with about 90% disapproving of his handling and 88% saying that the United States made the wrong decision, according to the report.
In contrast, 69% of Republicans approve of Trump’s approach and say the decision to use force was correct (71%).
The divide extends to perceptions about how the war is unfolding. Nearly half of Republicans (46%) say the conflict is going “extremely or very well,” compared with just 6% of Democrats.
Expectations for the conflict’s duration also differ. While 68% of Democrats believe that the war will last at least six more months, including 40% who expect it to continue for more than a year, most Republicans (58%) say it will end within six months.
Overall, public opinion tilts negative. About 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 37% approve. Similarly, 59% say the decision to use military force was wrong, compared to 38% who say it was right.
More Americans say the military action will make the United States less safe (40%) than safer (22%), while views of the global impact are more evenly divided.
The survey was conducted from March 16-22 among 3,524 U.S. adults.
