Overview
- President Trump and the White House reposted a Big Data Poll dated June 29 that found 60.4% of registered voters supported the Iran memorandum and reported a 42.9% presidential approval rating.
- Critics and observers said the administration’s posts relied on an outdated survey because the memorandum has effectively collapsed and direct exchanges between the U.S. and Iran resumed after the poll.
- More recent Washington Post/Ipsos polling from July 8–13 put overall presidential approval at 37% and showed just 29% approval of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, undercutting the White House message.
- Since the June poll, bombing and retaliatory strikes have restarted, the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted, and three U.S. service members have been killed, with the Houthis announcing a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia that widens regional risk.
- News outlets differed in emphasis with the White House and sympathetic outlets highlighting the poll’s findings while other coverage focused on the poll’s timing, the collapse of the deal, recent U.S. casualties, and the political risk for the president.