Republicans Fear Trump's 6-Month Iran War Could Cost Midterms as 3 in 10 Back His Handling
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 17
Republicans Fear Trump's 6-Month Iran War Could Cost Midterms as 3 in 10 Back His Handling
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 17
Summary
Nearly six months into the Iran war, Republicans are increasingly warning it could damage their thin House majority and Senate prospects, even as most vulnerable candidates still back Trump publicly.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday found only 3 in 10 voters approve of Trump’s handling of Iran, while GOP lawmakers say higher gas and grocery prices are intensifying voter anger.
Jim Justice called the war a “mess,” and Mike Johnson acknowledged the conflict has pushed up gas prices, though he predicted a new phase could ease costs.
Democrats are turning the war into a central campaign issue, with Jon Ossoff attacking Trump at a rally and VoteVets running ads tying Republicans to $9-a-gallon gas in parts of Alaska.
Only a few vulnerable Republicans, including Tom Barrett and Brian Fitzpatrick, have voted to limit Trump’s war powers, underscoring the party’s balancing act between voter pain and loyalty to a still-popular president.