A Fox News host has explained how President Donald Trump’s supporters really feel about the Iran war.
Ainsley Earhardt spoke on behalf of Trump loyalists after Trey Yingst, the network’s chief foreign correspondent, reported on the latest U.S. strikes on Iran on Fox & Friends.
“Trey, what do you say to our viewers who love Donald Trump and they support him, they trust him, they believe he’s talking to the right people and making the right moves, but they’re tired of this and they see that the midterms are around the corner. They want our economy to get back on track and our gas prices to drop,” Earhardt asked. “What do we need to do to get out?”
Yingst, who spoke to Trump on Wednesday after the U.S. launched a fresh attack on Iran, responded by echoing the president’s defense of his war.
“In terms of the gas prices, the president, by doing this secret operation, has been able to relatively stabilize the oil prices,” he began. “More broadly, as it relates to Operation Epic Fury and why this began, President Trump simply told me this began to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon that threatens U.S. forces, allies, or even the United States in the future.”
“And so the answer to your question is this,” he went on. “As it relates to what is taking place in the short term, the president has indicated—when I’ve talked to him previously—when this is over, he believes gas prices are going to drop. But primarily, he wants to either ensure that Iran does not have this highly enriched material in their country through an agreement or on the battlefield.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump supporters’ concerns.
The president’s war with Iran has increasingly become a hard sell, with polls showing resounding disapproval of the conflict as it continues to drive up gas and grocery prices.
Nearly 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the Iran war, with only 37 percent expressing support, according to a polling average by Nate Silver.
Polling on the president’s economic agenda has further exposed Americans’ dissatisfaction with Trump’s performance.
A YouGov/Economist poll conducted between June 5 and 8 found that 63 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, while only 29 percent approve, giving him a -34 approval rating on an issue that used to be one of his strong suits.
