When America attacked Iraq in 2003, the public stood with the country. President George Bush had told the public that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was a threat to America. Now, two decades later, the world is witnessing a different kind of war, and the America response is also very different from 2003. On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the US had carried out precise air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. These attacks caused a lot of damage to Iran, but the American public did not stand with Trump, rather criticized it on social media.
What is the American public saying about the attack on Iran?
Trump calls Iran the bully of the Middle East. Israel has bombed 5 countries and invaded 3 in the last two years, but the bully is Iran. This guy is a pathetic cheater,” wrote one user on Twitter.
“Trump announces attack on Iran. Without congressional approval. By the hands of a self-proclaimed anti-war president,” wrote another.
“This guy is crazy. By what authority did the US bomb Iran? What proof? Trump says the US has attacked Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Now we all need to be cautious of high-priority US cities like New York,” wrote another.
At the time, more than two-thirds of Americans supported military action in Iraq. President Bush’s speechwriters carefully communicated fears of terrorism and national vulnerability to the public. The mainstream media, from cable news to major newspapers, often carried the administration’s cause.
In 2025, the opposite is happening. According to a YouGov/Economist survey conducted just before the attacks, 60 percent of Americans said they opposed military action against Iran. A separate Washington Post survey found similar trends, with 45 percent opposing it.
