New polls have worrisome numbers for the Trump Administration. Despite Iran’s retaliation (thus far) being modest for the killed of a top military figure, some 56% of Americans say they disapprove of President Trump’s handling of matter with Iran, according to an ABC News poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. The polls shows that the effort to portray Democrats as supporting a terrorist have not worked. Nor should they. It is entirely unfair to portray Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “trying to defend” Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. She denounced Soleimani but reasonably objected to the lack of conferral and evidence behind the attack. We can have a disagreement over such killings without suggesting that some are supporting terrorists by raising constitutional powers and obligations.
What should worry the White House the most is that polls are showing 57 percent of the key independent block as opposing the Iranian actions.
Part of the problem continues to be embarrassing shifts in the narrative, facts, and recently some bizarre claims like the Nobel comments of the President. When the Administration is trying to get people to trust their accounts, such conflicts and controversies undermine their position. These polls indicate that it is not just foreign but domestic skepticism that results.
The good news for the White House is that polls in states like Iowa do not show a worsening situation on impeachment. Indeed, in Iowa only 43 percent favor impeachment. Moreover, the bets are still favoring reelection. Other polls show him topping likely Democratic rivals.