Senate Republican Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has shared results from a new poll that reveal overwhelming support within his party for President Donald Trump’s recent airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Conducted by GrayHouse, the polling and data analytics firm favored by Senate Republicans, the survey found that 90 percent of respondents endorsed the strikes. This poll, the first conducted among Trump voters since Saturday’s military action, aims to counter arguments that Trump’s aggressive foreign policy is causing internal division within the Republican base.
The poll’s findings are particularly significant given the increasingly isolationist sentiments within the party, fueled by recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. A Senate GOP conference spokesperson stated that the poll seeks to demonstrate that isolationist influencers, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Tucker Carlson, do not represent the majority of Republican voters who support Trump’s approach. The spokesperson emphasized that the survey highlights a close-to-unanimous backing for the president’s actions, underscoring the party’s alignment with Trump’s foreign policy.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance have long criticized past leaders for entangling the U.S. in protracted foreign conflicts, and some conservative figures have expressed concerns about the recent strikes. However, only 10 percent of respondents in the poll believed the attacks were akin to the military interventions that have led to long-term U.S. involvement in other regions. Similarly, just 13 percent of respondents deemed the strikes a ‘war’ with Iran. These figures suggest that the majority of Trump’s supporters do not view the action as a new chapter in America’s foreign entanglements.
Cotton, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), has been a vocal advocate within the Republican Party for Trump’s Iran policy. The two senators argue that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to the United States and its allies, thus justifying the military response. Cotton, as chair of the Senate Republican Conference, has taken a leading role in defending Trump’s position, reinforcing the narrative that the strikes were a necessary and prudent step in safeguarding national security.
As the U.S. continues to navigate its foreign policy stance amid evolving global tensions, the GOP’s internal support for Trump’s actions underscores a broader ideological alignment with his approach. The poll’s results, however, also highlight the ongoing ideological rifts within the party, particularly between those advocating for a more interventionist stance and those promoting a more isolationist foreign policy.