NPR:

Ashley Lopez

Voters who helped reelect President Trump in 2024 say they don't support his decision to go to war in Iran and instead want to see U.S. tax dollars spent tackling mounting economic pressures facing most Americans.

NPR observed two online focus groups on Tuesday night with 12 voters from Michigan who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and then swung to Trump in 2024. These groups included eight self-described independents, two Republicans and two Democrats. The focus groups were part of the Swing Voter Project conducted by messaging group Engagious and market research firm Sago. NPR is a partner on the project.

Out of the 12 focus group participants, nine said they disapprove of what the U.S. is doing in Iran. And 11 of the 12 reported feeling more anxious about the economy now than they did before Trump took office again.

Rich Thau, president of Engagious and the moderator of both groups, said some of these voters directly attributed some of their economic concerns to military action abroad.

"People are very stressed about the economy, and the attacks on Iran have added to that stress," he said. "They've seen gas prices spike. They have a fear of traveling. … So, they're stressed. And when they're stressed, they're less likely to spend money — they're less likely to go out. And they're just concerned about their futures."

Linzi B., a 48-year-old independent voter, was among the voters who have misgivings about U.S. military action in Iran. (Participants agreed to be part of the focus groups on the condition that they be identified by their first names and last initials only.)

Linzi said she isn't "even sure yet" why the U.S. started bombing Iran, "considering all the various versions" of reasons she has heard from the Trump administration.

"And the enormous cost of war in terms of what it does to our economy, what it does to the world economy," she said, "when we have enormous need within our own societies in Michigan, there are families, there are children, there are enormous levels of poverty, and that needs help. We need to help our own citizens first before we go to Iran, Iraq, I don't know, anywhere else to fight their wars for them."

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