Who are these people?

NBC News Morning Rundown  FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2026
In today’s newsletter: After six months of war, Americans remain sour on President Trump’s handling of the conflict.

Americans doubted the Iran war from the start — and Trump’s numbers haven’t gotten better(Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images file)

At the six-month mark of the Iran war, Americans remain sour on President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, even as Republicans continue to voice support for military action and the president himself.

Reputable, nonpartisan polls conducted over the last few weeks have found Trump’s approval rating on his handling of Iran ranging from 25% to 35%. A July Fox News poll found that 34% of registered voters approved of Trump’s handling of Iran, roughly in line with CNBC’s July poll, which found 35% approval.

A Reuters poll conducted a few days ago put Trump’s approval rating on Iran at 29%.

While Americans have broadly disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict from the start, the recent lows represent a decline from his earlier polling on the issue.

Just as the war began, an NBC News poll of registered voters found that 41% approved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 54% disapproved. In the same survey, 52% of registered voters said the U.S. should not have taken military action against Iran.

That opposition has persisted. In the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, just 35% approved of the military action, while 62% disapproved.

My only question:

Who are the 30%-35% who actually approve of the war Trump started by tearing up the agreement that was working?

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell