Lily Huynh/The Cougar
As the war in Iran extends past its third month, conservative students’ support for the war remains unshaken.
A survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted earlier this year found that 52% of Republicans think U.S. military action in Iran has been about right. In contrast, 90% of Democrats think the recent military action has gone too far, with only 4% calling it about right.
“This war is exactly the kind of action I wanted to see out of President Trump and his administration, as he is pushing for change and progress in an area that has been stagnant and suffering for years with no meaningful action from America to help it,” said mechanical engineering sophomore Reuben Bishop.
Bishop, who is an independent but leans conservative because of his Christian values, argued that the Biden administration reflected poorly on America’s leadership. That’s what drove him to vote for Trump in 2024.
“After the Biden administration made America look weak, conflicted and mismanaged, Trump has led America to look strong and influential again after so long,” Bishop said.
Bishop’s views on the Iran war place him in the minority of Americans; according to Pew Research Center, about six in ten Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the conflict in Iran.
However, Bishop’s support follows the deepening partisan divide that shows 79% of Republicans and 52% of Republican-leaning independents approve of how Trump is handling the conflict.
“I believe the goal or mission of the war in Iran was to free the Iranian people from a corrupt government that had been exploiting them for far too long without repercussions and give the people a chance to institute a new government,” Bishop said. “I think America has followed this mission pretty well so far in the war, as the government has been obliterated for the most part, and the Iranian citizens aren’t being actively oppressed en masse.”
The Trump administration has faced criticism for its unclear messaging and goals in this conflict, including from prominent MAGA figures.
Despite Bishop’s ongoing support the Trump administration’s action in Iran, Bishop has seen his support for the administration as a whole waver.
“Other actions or policies from the Trump administration within America have affected my support for this administration,” Bishop said. “I no longer back the Trump administration but fully back the conservative movement.”
Trump’s approval rating dropped to 35%, according to a Reuters poll taken in mid-May, its lowest point of his two terms so far.
Bishop cites the killing of two American citizens by ICE in January as one reason for his change in attitude toward Trump. He also felt the administration diverged from his Christian values.
“Trump blatantly posted not one but two AI images in which he was depicting himself as Jesus, which transgresses against my religious beliefs,” Bishop said.
As the Iran war continues and gas prices climb, only the midterm elections can show whether the Trump administration’s popularity has truly been affected by this conflict.
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