Support for continued U.S. involvement in the war with Iran has fallen sharply among President Donald Trump's core supporters, according to a new POLITICO/Public First poll, highlighting growing concerns over the conflict's economic costs as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
The survey found that the share of self-identified MAGA voters who believe the United States should continue the war even if it raises costs at home dropped from 50% in May to 37% in July, a 13-point decline in just two months.
At the same time, 37% said the U.S. should remain involved only if the war does not increase domestic costs, up from 29% in May, while nearly one in five MAGA voters said the United States should end its involvement regardless of the economic impact.
The poll also found that a majority of MAGA voters, 57%, blamed the war in Iran for rising gas prices since Trump returned to office, more than any other explanation presented to respondents.
The findings contrast with an Economist/YouGov poll published July 14, which found that MAGA Republicans remained overwhelmingly supportive of Trump's decision to enter the war, with 77% saying it was the right decision.
However, that survey also found signs of shifting opinion within the broader Republican coalition. Support among Republicans overall declined compared with April, while non-MAGA Republicans went from net support for the war to net opposition. The poll also found that 48% of both MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans favored reaching a deal to end the conflict as soon as possible.
The POLITICO survey comes as Trump has shown little indication that he intends to scale back the U.S. military campaign. Speaking this week, the president said Iranian officials "want to desperately meet" but added that "until they are ready to meet in a meaningful way we have no interest in even talking."
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended the administration's approach, saying Trump "does not make national security decisions based on fluid opinion polls, but on the best interests of the American people."
The conflict has also exposed divisions within the Republican Party. Several prominent conservatives, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, have criticized the administration's approach, warning against deeper U.S. involvement and arguing that the war departs from Trump's longstanding "America First" foreign policy message.
