Majority of voters oppose Trump's Iran threats, blame president for gas costs

(CN) — U.S. voters aren’t too happy about President Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Iran — nor are they keen on its impact at the pump — according to a poll released Wednesday.

Surveying more than 1,000 self-identified registered voters nationwide, pollsters with Quinnipiac University found 58% of U.S. voters disapprove of how Trump is handling the war in Iran that began in late February, while 36% of voters approve. A slight majority, 53%, said they entirely oppose U.S. military action against Iran, while 40% approve of it.

In particular, voters expressed strong disapproval of Trump’s brazen threats made against Iran in recent weeks.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post April 7, additionally threatening to destroy all of Iran’s power plants and bridges if Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was not removed the same day. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

When asked about Trump’s threat, 64% of voters said it was unacceptable, while 28% of voters approved.

And regarding Trump’s threats against Iranian power plants and civilian infrastructure, voters shared similar sentiments: 65% said they would oppose such attacks, while 29% said they would support it.

“Voters have no taste for a leap from military targets to civilian ones that would harm Iran’s general population, or for the ominous language about a potential end game for Iran,” Tim Malloy, a Quinnipiac University polling analyst, said in a statement accompanying the poll.

Hours after Trump’s threats against Iranian civilization, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, although Iran has claimed the U.S. has already breached their agreement.

U.S. voters didn’t just express opposition to Trump’s activity in Iran — they also largely pinned growing woes at the pump on the president: 65% of voters say they blame Trump either a lot (51%) or some (14%) for the recent rise in gas prices.

“From regular to premium to diesel, for many, pain at the pump rhymes with Trump,” Malloy said. “Sixty-five percent of voters say, ‘when filling ‘er up,’ the president shoulders blame for the price spike.”

Among Republican voters, Trump has taken comparatively minimal flak for expensive fuel — only 22% of GOP voters blame the president for rising gas prices, while 97% of Democrats and 73% of independents have labeled Trump the costly culprit.

Americans aren’t particularly fond of Trump’s handling of the economy at large, either. 38% of voters said they approve of Trump’s management of the U.S. economy, whereas 57% disapprove.

Trump’s low approval on the economy ties his all-time worst ratings among both terms, matching his numbers from March 2026 and October 2025.

Additionally, 38% of voters said they approve of how Trump is handling the presidency, with 55% expressing disapproval. Unsurprisingly, Republicans comprise the majority of Trump’s support — 88% expressed approval — while 97% of Democrats and 63% of independents expressed disapproval of Trump’s job as president.

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