Seven in 10 U.S. voters, including a majority of Republicans, say the United States should not take military action against Iran despite the regime’s ongoing attacks on peaceful protesters.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told the demonstrators to “keep protesting,” and that “help is on its way,” but respondents in a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday said Washington should stay out of it.
By 70% to 18%, voters opposed military action against Iran, even as reports say the Iranian regime has killed as many as 12,000 protesters. That includes 80% of independents, 79% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans, per the poll.
In addition, by 70% to 24%, voters said the U.S. president should first get congressional approval before attacking another country. That included 95% of Democrats and 78% of independents. Republicans disagreed, by 54% to 34%.
“Talk of the U.S. military potentially intervening in Iran’s internal chaos gets a vigorous thumbs down, while voters signal congressional approval should be a backstop against military involvement in any foreign crisis,” Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy stated.
Overall, 56% disapproved of the way Trump was handling foreign policy, with 41% approving, and 53% disapproved of his job as commander in chief of the U.S. military, with 43% in support.
The president’s overall job approval rating was 54% negative and 40% positive, unchanged from last month.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance was also in negative territory, with 49% disapproving and 41% approving of his performance in office.
The survey of 1,133 self-identified registered voters was conducted Jan. 8-12 and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.7 percentage points.