Donald Trump described the US-Israeli attack on Iran as a "small deviation" that the US had to make, in an attempt to overcome the fact that war in the Middle East is extremely unpopular, according to polls.
During an event in Las Vegas, where he also spoke about eliminating the tip tax, the US president defended his actions on the economy since taking office in January 2025.
He assured that the economy is doing very well, “despite a little detour to this wonderful country called Iran, which we had to make, because otherwise very bad things could happen – really bad,” he said, apparently alluding to the acquisition of nuclear weapons that he said Iran was seeking – something Tehran has denied for decades.
Trump: "The economy is doing so well. By the way, we had to do a little journey down to Iran. I didn't want to do that but we had to. We just hit 50,000 on the Dow." pic.twitter.com/udN9RLYN34
- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 17, 2026
An Ipsos poll of more than 1,000 Americans conducted from April 10-12 found that 51% of respondents said military action against Iran was “not worth it,” given the costs. Only 24% said the opposite.
Trump: "The war in Iran is going along swimmingly. We can do whatever we want. It's perfect." pic.twitter.com/FnhrivLxv9
- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 17, 2026
Another Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found that 65% of respondents hold Donald Trump responsible for the recent increase in fuel prices in the country.
According to the same poll, only 36% of respondents approve of the way President Trump has handled the "situation" with Iran, while 58% disapprove.
