Trump claims Americans "aren't against the war" with Iran despite US polls showing opposition
Washington DC, July 22
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Americans were not opposed to the US war with Iran, despite recent opinion polls indicating that a majority of Americans believe the conflict is not worth fighting, CNN reported.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of US service members killed in the war, Trump argued that public concerns were focused on fuel prices rather than the military campaign.
"Americans aren't against the war," Trump said. He added, "A poll, a poll just came out, Americans don't want high gasoline prices, but they're not against the war."
Though Trump did not directly mention any specific survey, according to CNN, his remarks came despite a Washington Post-Ipsos survey released last week showing that 68 per cent of Americans said the war was not "worth fighting", while 28 per cent said it was.
CNN noted that the 40-point negative margin was larger than public opposition recorded for either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars in Washington Post-ABC News polling.
CNN reported that the survey was among the latest indicating that a majority of Americans oppose the war, which Trump launched in late February.
Before Trump arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to honour the US service members who lost their lives in the conflict, he said, "We honour our heroes, and they are indeed great heroes. Actually, they said, and all of them said very strongly, we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
"For me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president, but it has to be done," he added.
Trump also said he would offer condolences to the families of the fallen service members during a private meeting.
"All I'm going to say is, we love you. We love your child, and that's what they are to them. They're their children. No games, no nothing," he said.
According to CNN, three of the service members whose remains were being returned to the United States were killed in an Iranian strike on a military base in Jordan, while the fourth died during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq.
Asked about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, Trump declined to comment on the ongoing investigation but warned that Iran would face consequences.
"They're being decimated," Trump said, adding that Iran would "pay a big price," CNN reported.
— ANI
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