AP-NORC poll finds 69% of Americans say US-Israeli war on Iran not worth fighting

October 2, 2026 at 01:49 AM2 min

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A new AP-NORC poll finds 69 percent of US adults say the US-Israeli war on Iran has not been worth fighting, up five points since July. Seventy-one percent disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of Iran. The survey of more than 2,000 adults also shows deep frustration with the economy, with only 17 percent approving of his handling of the cost of living.

Key Facts

69 percent of US adults say the US-Israeli war on Iran has not been worth fighting, a five-point increase since July.
71 percent disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of Iran.
Only 17 percent approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, and 26 percent approve of his handling of the economy overall.
About half of respondents are deeply concerned about being able to afford fuel, up from 39 percent in July.
Two-thirds of Republicans surveyed attribute higher prices to factors outside Trump's control.

War and Iran Approval

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released the poll on Thursday, surveying more than 2,000 US adults. 69 percent say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, up from 64 percent in July. 71 percent disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran. In a TIME interview published Thursday, Trump said the war 'should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.'

Economic Frustration

Only 17 percent of adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, and 26 percent approve of his handling of the economy overall. About half of respondents are deeply concerned about affording fuel, up from 39 percent in July, and roughly half are highly concerned about affording food. More than half of adult respondents say the national economy and the country as a whole are worse off since Trump took office again in 2025. Two-thirds of Republicans attribute higher prices to factors outside Trump's control, while about one-third blame his policies directly.

Trump's Response

Trump kicked off his midterm campaign trail in Texas and Oklahoma amid widespread voter anxiety over the war's economic fallout. Confronted with sliding poll numbers, Trump called pollsters 'corrupt' and said the bad polls 'are fake.' He added that he would beat anybody running today 'by 20 points.'