By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - Two out of three Americans think President Donald Trump has not clearly explained why the country went to war with Iran, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday that also showed his approval rating ticking up from the lowest level of his term.
The four-day poll revealed deep concerns about surging gasoline prices, and also suggested many voters are casting blame for their troubles on Trump’s Republican allies who will be defending their congressional majorities in the November midterm elections.
More than two months into a conflict that began February 28 with a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, some 66% of poll respondents - including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats - said Trump has not “clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran.”
The war, which cooled in recent weeks as both sides floated peace proposals, has driven a roughly 50% increase in gasoline prices across the country. Iran shut down a fifth of the global oil trade by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz - despite efforts by U.S. warships to re-open the waterway for oil tankers.
HOUSEHOLD FINANCES TAKE HIT
Some 63% of the country say their household’s personal financial situation has taken a hit from recent gas price increases, up from 55% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 17-19.
Some 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, up two percentage points since a late April Reuters/Ipsos poll showed his approval rating at 34%, which was the lowest level of Trump’s current term in office.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll had a 3-percentage-point margin of error in either direction based on the number of people surveyed.
Trump’s popularity remains below the 40% approval rate he had just before the war started. He started his term in January 2025 with 47% approval after winning the 2024 presidential election on promises to lower costs for Americans.
WORRIES ABOUT GAS PRICES
Three-quarters of the public - including half of Republicans - think his administration bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the gas price surge, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Asked which political party is more responsible, 65% of poll respondents said Republicans were to blame compared to 27% who said Democrats.
Four out of five Americans said they expect gas prices to rise further.
Republicans are defending narrow majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterms. Their hopes of keeping control of the House have been bolstered by recent court rulings that could lead to voting district boundaries that are more favorable to Republicans. Republican strategists say the party’s chances would further improve if gasoline prices came down.
But with no agreement in sight between Washington and Tehran, about three in 10 Americans already expect to cut back on summer vacation plans if gas prices hold firm, the poll found. Many expect to cancel their trips or travel shorter distances.
Trump has repeatedly promised gas prices will fall when the war ends, though analysts warn that is unlikely to happen quickly. The public isn’t sure who has the upper hand in the conflict. Only one in three say America has the advantage, while about one in seven say Iran has it, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The rest said they weren’t sure or that neither side has an advantage.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered responses from 1,254 U.S. adults nationwide.
(Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
