The US and Israel’s joint attacks on Iran resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and over 40 other high-ranking officials. Trump’s military strikes have received both positive and negative responses from countries around the globe, with the majority of Iranians celebrating the death of their religious leader.
A poll, conducted following the US-Israel joint venture, shows that the majority of Americans do not agree with Trump’s decision to launch attacks on Iran, with only one in four voters showing approval of the airstrikes. Notably, the Reuters Ipsos poll was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, when it wasn’t yet revealed that the first US troops had been killed in the conflict.
Ironically, in his first run for the president, Trump had condemned such wars, stating, “Regime change is a proven, absolute failure.” He had expressed that the US should “stop racing to topple foreign regimes.”
Early this morning, President Trump launched major strikes against Iran. My first concern is for the safety of our service members, diplomats, and civilians in the region, as well as the security of our allies who Iran has targeted with missile strikes in retaliation.
The… pic.twitter.com/jkqWbgj6zv
— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) February 28, 2026
However, on Sunday, Trump publicly vowed to continue the war despite the first batch of US soldiers being martyred. His “it is what it is” mentality has received backlash from the common Americans and Democrats, who strongly condemn his nonchalant attitude.
According to the poll, only a quarter or 27% of the US population approved of President Trump’s attack on Iran, while 43% of the US citizens criticized his use of military force. Meanwhile, 29% of the respondents stayed neutral or unsure. Three-quarters of Democrats condemned the attacks, and 55% of Republicans showed support for the military attack.
Meanwhile, over half of the respondents, almost 56%, believe that Trump was in a hurry to choose a military attack. 87% of Democrats agreed with this statement. On the other hand, only 13% of Republicans harbor a similar mentality. The remaining 55% Republicans supported Trump, and 32% were not sure what to say. 74% Democrats censured the strikes, only 7% defended them, and the remaining 19% were unsure.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
However, 42% of Republicans stated they would not support the conflict if it led to “US troops in the Middle East being killed or injured.”
In a conversation with The Intercept, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham strongly criticized Trump’s declaration of war. He stated, “Not only does this violate international law in numerous respects, it clearly violates the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Resolution.”
The crippling findings of the poll will most definitely have an effect on the upcoming developments of the war. According to constitution, Congress has the power to declare war. It will now arrange for a discussion to determine the president’s war powers. However, it depends on its ability to acquire enough power to detour Trump’s veto to dismiss any law that will abstain him from controlling the war.
