Less than a third of Americans think Trump's Iran strike made them safer
A new poll from Morning Consult showed half of Americans said Trump’s order to kill an Iranian general made the country less safe, while 32% said it made the country safer.
Donald Trump’s decision to order an airstrike killing Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, less than a month after the House of Representatives impeached him, makes America less safe and war with Iran more likely, according to a Morning Consult poll released Wednesday.
While the White House claimed “Americans are safer” after Soleimani was killed, half of Americans (50%) disagree, responding that Trump’s decision makes the country less safe. Less than a third (32%) of those polled said it made the country safer.
A much larger majority, 69%, said Trump’s decision makes war with Iran more likely, while only 15% of respondents said war is now less likely. Late Tuesday night, after the poll was completed, Iran launched missiles targeting American military bases in Iraq.
The poll also showed that less than half the country, or 47%, approved of the airstrike, while 40% disapproved of the measure.
The Morning Consult poll mirrors other polls taken since Trump’s early January decision to order the killing of Soleimani.
A Reuters poll released on Tuesday shows 54% of Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling issues with Iran, with only 37% approving.
A HuffPost/YouGov poll released Monday, nearly half the respondents (46%) disapproved Trump’s handling of Iran, with only 40% approving. The same poll showed less than half the country (43%) approved of the airstrike that killed Soleimani, with 38% disapproving.
And like the Morning Consult poll, a majority of HuffPost/YouGov respondents (57%) believe Trump’s action makes war with Iran more likely, while just 8% think it makes war less likely.
U.S. officials defended the killing of Soleimani, which Israel described as an “assassination,” by claiming the administration had intelligence of an imminent threat. However, the administration has not publicly released any information regarding the threat and some congressional leaders who have reviewed it question the Trump administration’s conclusion.
After the initial airstrike, Trump vowed to commit war crimes against the Iranian people if Iran retaliated. Trump threatened to destroy Iranian cultural sites, which would violate the 1954 Hague Convention, before eventually backing down from his threat.
In late 2019, Trump pardoned a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
Recommended
Biden campaign launches new ad focused on Affordable Care Act
Former President Trump has said he wants to do away with the popular health care law.
By Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-Star - May 08, 2024Trump leaves door open to banning medication abortion nationwide
Donald Trump is planning to release more details in the weeks ahead about how his administration would regulate access to medication abortion, according to comments he made during a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Tuesday.
By Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom - April 30, 2024Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban
‘Having the president of the United States speaking out loud and with confidence about abortion access is a great thing’
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix - April 22, 2024