Washington | Most Americans believe recent US military action against Iran has gone too far, and many are worried about affording gasoline, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
As the war launched by the US and Israel continues in its fourth week, the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research indicates that while President Donald Trump's approval rating is holding steady, the conflict could be swiftly turning into a major political liability for his Republican administration.
While Trump is deploying more warships and troops to the Middle East, about 59 per cent of Americans say US military action in Iran has been excessive.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent are "extremely" or "very" concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, up from 30 per cent in an AP-NORC poll conducted shortly after Trump won reelection with promises that he would improve the economy and lower the cost of living.
There is significant support for at least one of the president's objectives, which is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
About two-thirds of Americans say that should be an "extremely" or "very" important foreign policy goal for the US. However, they are just as likely to say it's important to keep US oil and gas prices from rising, a juxtaposition that could be difficult for the White House to manage.
About 4 in 10 US adults continue to approve of Trump's performance as president, which is unchanged from last month. His approval on foreign policy, while slightly lower than his overall approval, also largely held steady.
Trump has left unclear his next steps on Iran. Despite escalating threats, he's also suggested diplomatic talks could resolve the fighting. Americans remain broadly apprehensive about Trump's ability to make the right decisions on the use of military force outside the US, and they mostly oppose more aggressive steps, such as deploying ground forces.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,150 adults was conducted March 19-23 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the US population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Republicans and Democrats prioritize keeping gas prices low
Keeping the price at the pump down is the rare goal that unites Americans in both major political parties.
About three-quarters of Republicans and about two-thirds of Democrats say it's highly important to prevent US oil and gas prices from going up.
However, concern about the current situation isn't evenly felt. Only about 3 in 10 Republicans said they're "extremely" or "very" worried about affording gas in the next few months, as opposed to about 6 in 10 Democrats.
Trump's focus on Iran's nuclear program also appears more compelling to Republicans than to Democrats. About two-thirds of Americans say the US should prioritize keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but about 8 in 10 Republicans say this is at least "very" important, compared with about half of Democrats.
The war has exacerbated political debates over the role that Israel should play in US foreign policy, especially since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a leading voice for attacking Iran. Only about 4 in 10 US adults say preventing Iran from threatening Israel should be a high priority.
Toppling Iran's leaders is viewed as slightly less important. Only about 3 in 10 say it's at least "very" important for the US to replace Iran's government with one that's friendlier to US interests.