Donald Trump is heading into the United Nations with a pressing problem at home: Americans are turning further against his handling of the Iran war.
Just 26 percent now approve of the president’s handling of the conflict, down from 33 percent a month after the war began, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS on Sept. 16-17 among 1,206 U.S. adults.
His wider foreign policy numbers are even weaker. Only 29 percent approve of his handling of foreign affairs, a new low across his two terms, while 71 percent disapprove.
The erosion is reaching into Trump’s Republican base. In March, 73 percent of Republicans approved of his handling of Iran. That has now fallen to 60 percent.
Among Republican and Republican-leaning voters under 45, 53 percent disapprove. Among those who do not identify with the MAGA movement, disapproval rises to 54 percent.
Republicans have also become less convinced that Trump’s foreign policy is strengthening America’s position abroad. About half now say his decisions have helped the country’s standing in the world — down 13 points since March.
And the war itself is drawing deep opposition.
Seven in 10 Americans say the conflict has hurt U.S. interests rather than helped them, while 76 percent say it has not been worth the loss of American lives or the financial cost to the government.
At least 18 U.S. service members have died in the Iran war, which Trump began without congressional authorization in February.
The war has also seen prices shoot up. Brown University’s Iran War Energy Cost Tracker estimates the conflict has added more than $100 billion to U.S. gasoline and diesel costs, with the average household paying more than $750 extra.
The latest numbers come as Trump prepares to take the global stage in New York.
The president is due to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, with Iran expected to dominate his message. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said Trump would highlight his administration’s peace efforts, U.S. actions in the Western Hemisphere, and progress on the 20-point Gaza peace plan.
Waltz also said Trump would stress the need to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
The White House has framed the appearance as part of Trump’s push to reshape the U.N., saying on X that he is “forcing the U.N. to do less, do it better, & make every American taxpayer dollar count.”
But Trump arrives with the Iran war still unresolved and tensions threatening to rise again, with Tehran warning of retaliation if the U.S. resumes military action.
Meanwhile, a deal to end the war seems far away, with the U.S. and Iran still at an impasse over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The president is expected to hold a series of high-level meetings, including talks with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, this week.
He is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, as well.
The diplomatic push comes as scrutiny of U.S. conduct in the war grows.
A U.N. human-rights investigation last week said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” U.S. forces had committed war crimes during attacks on an Iranian school and residential area in February, according to NBC News.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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