Most Americans oppose a U.S. military strike on Iran and believe President Donald Trump is overreaching in his use of force abroad, according to two new national polls released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University and AP‑NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The surveys, conducted January 8–12 and published January 14, 2026, show broad resistance to new military action and rising support for a less active U.S. role in global affairs, even as Trump signals he is willing to use force if Iran escalates its crackdown on protesters.
Strong Public Opposition to Iran Intervention
A Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters found that 70 percent say the United States should not take military action against Iran, even if protesters there are killed while demonstrating against the government, while 18 percent support such action. Opposition spans party lines: 79 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents oppose U.S. military involvement, along with a narrow majority of Republicans, 53 percent of whom say the U.S. should stay out of the conflict, according to the Quinnipiac release and POLITICO’s reporting.
“Talk of the U.S. military potentially intervening in Iran’s internal chaos gets a vigorous thumbs down, while voters signal congressional approval should be a backstop against military involvement in any foreign crisis,” Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement accompanying the poll. The survey of 1,133 registered voters, conducted January 8–12, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, Quinnipiac reported.
“Talk of the U.S. military potentially intervening in Iran’s internal chaos gets a vigorous thumbs down.” — Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac University
Concerns Trump Has “Gone Too Far” Abroad
The Politico report notes that the Quinnipiac findings align with a separate AP‑NORC poll released the same day that shows a broader reluctance toward U.S. military engagement overseas. According to AP‑NORC, 45 percent of U.S. adults say the country should be less involved in solving the world’s problems, and a majority say Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene abroad.
AP‑NORC found that most Democrats and independents now favor a less active U.S. role, while about 64 percent of Republicans say the current level of engagement is “about right” and only around one in ten support a more active role, the research center reported. PBS NewsHour, reporting on the AP‑NORC data, noted that 56 percent of U.S. adults believe Trump has overstepped in military actions abroad.
Trump’s Rhetoric on Iran Under Scrutiny
The polling comes as Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if its security forces continue to kill demonstrators during a wave of nationwide protests, Politico reported. Fox News reported that Trump warned Iranian authorities “they will pay a big price” and told CBS News that if Iran executes protesters, “we will take very strong action”. The White House has confirmed that military options, including potential strikes, are under consideration in response to any intensified crackdown, Fox News added.
At the same time, seven in ten voters in the Quinnipiac survey say a president should seek congressional approval before using military force against another country, with majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans backing that requirement, according to the poll release. That finding underscores public support for legislative checks on unilateral executive decisions about war and peace.
“Voters signal congressional approval should be a backstop against military involvement in any foreign crisis.” Quinnipiac analysis
Shifting Foreign Policy Mood Ahead of 2026
The new data suggest a significant shift in public attitudes toward U.S. global engagement as the 2026 midterm election cycle intensifies. Nearly half of Americans now favor a less active U.S. role in international affairs, while only about 20 percent support a more active posture, AP‑NORC found. NPR, reporting on a separate NPR/Ipsos survey earlier in January, noted that many Americans doubt the United States’ role as a global moral leader and see U.S. influence as weaker than in the past.
For Trump, who has tied his re‑election strategy in part to projecting strength abroad, the polling presents a potential constraint on how far he can go in confronting Iran without triggering domestic backlash. As protests in Iran continue and the administration weighs potential responses, future surveys will show whether public resistance to military action hardens further or shifts if events on the ground escalate dramatically.