Americans fear Iran but question Trump's judgment: poll
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Most U.S. adults are concerned about the threat Iran poses to the U.S., but a majority say they don't trust President Trump's handling of foreign affairs, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Why it matters: Thursday's nuclear talks between the Trump administration and Iran could be the last chance for a diplomatic solution before the president opts for military action.
- "The President has been clear that his preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy and that the Iranian regime should make a deal or else 'it will be very traumatic' for the regime," a White House official told Axios.
By the numbers: 80% of adults express at least a moderate degree of concern that Iran's nuclear program poses a direct threat to the U.S. Of those, 48% are very or extremely concerned.
- Meanwhile, 56% do not trust Trump to make the right decisions about international military action. That includes 16% of Republicans who have little to no trust in Trump's choices on military force abroad.
- Additionally, 92% of Democrats, 65% of independents and 20% of Republicans said they have little to no trust in Trump's ability to make the right decisions on the use of nuclear weapons.
Flashback: Since returning to the White House, Trump has ordered several high profile military interventions, including strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and a raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Catch up quick: Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday held a third round of negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to try and reach a nuclear deal.
- As negotiations have unfolded and Trump has lobbed threats at Tehran, the Pentagon has coordinated the biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades.
- In his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Trump said he preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis with Iran, but he also laid out a case for a potential war.
- "My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy," he said. "But one thing is certain, I will never allow the number one state sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon. And no nation should ever doubt America's resolve."
Go deeper... Scoop: Witkoff says any Iran nuclear deal should last indefinitely
Methodology: The nationwide poll of 1,133 adults was conducted Feb. 19-23 and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from the White House.
