As the war in Iran stretches into its seventh week, a survey from Ipsos and Reuters, released on Tuesday, has found that few Americans — 24 percent — think the war has been worth the costs and benefits.
Even among the president’s core supporters, there is a divide: 55 percent of Republicans said they thought the war was worth the costs and benefits, a far cry from the vast majority of his base who support Mr. Trump on most other issues. Instead, 20 percent of Republicans said they thought the war had not been worth the cost, and another 24 percent were not sure.
The survey was taken after the cease-fire and after President Trump threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
This poll adds to other evidence that fissures over the war are emerging within the Republican Party. A CNN poll taken in late-March found that Republicans who did not identify as “MAGA” were significantly less likely to support the war than “MAGA Republicans.”
Young Republicans are also far less likely to approve of Mr. Trump’s decision to take military action than are Republicans older than 45.
This is the first time Ipsos has asked the costs-and-benefits question. But the survey also included a question that has been repeated since the war started, and found that just 35 percent of Americans approved of the military strikes in Iran. That number has remained stable among all Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, over the last month.
The Times will occasionally feature polling that illustrates how Americans are feeling about the issues of the day. The numbers come from high-quality polls with a record for accuracy and rigorous methods.
Ruth Igielnik is a Times polling editor who conducts polls and analyzes and reports on the results.
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