Republicans stand behind Trump on Iran even as unpopularity of conflict grows

Republicans are largely standing behind President Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, even as the prolonged military campaign threatens to become a political liability for the GOP heading into November’s midterm elections.

The conflict has stretched on for nearly six months, and multiple public opinion polls suggest the war is broadly unpopular with Americans, raising the likelihood that it could weigh on vulnerable Republican candidates in competitive races.

Even so, Trump has shown no signs of changing course, warning Monday that it was Iran’s “last chance” to reach a deal with the U.S. or face “decapitation.”

And few Republicans have publicly broken with the president, even as Democrats seek to make the foreign conflict — and the rising prices at home that have stemmed from it — a central line of attack in their midterm messaging.

“I think the president’s been very measured in his response. The last thing he wants to do is put our soldiers in harm’s way, you know, and there’s been those that have tried to spin up when he’s going to put boots on the ground. I don’t see this president wanting to put, you know, our brave soldiers in that type of environment,” Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) told The Hill last week.

Trump says he is seeking negotiations with Tehran after calling off airstrikes against Iran in favor of diplomacy, the fifth time he’s done so since April. He said Sunday the U.S. had “an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II” before Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reached out to the U.S.  

Asked whether he thinks Trump’s handling of the conflict could affect Republicans’ chances in the midterms, Patronis argued Trump has kept Americans safe. 

“He has done everything he can to try to restore the safety and the security of the United States. So, you know, that’s a message that I think people kind of take for........

© The Hill