Wisconsin swing voters say Trump’s Iran war wasn’t worth it

Wisconsin swing – In Wisconsin, voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024 said they never believed the U.S. conflict with Iran was worth the cost—and many felt it left the country weaker. They also pointed to high gas prices and household budget strain, wi

For these Wisconsin swing voters, the question isn’t whether the war in Iran was dramatic. It’s whether it was worth the price.

The day after President Trump announced a framework agreement to end the war—and after he signed it on Wednesday—two online focus groups conducted in Wisconsin found no consensus that the conflict had paid off. Across 13 participants. no one said they thought the war with Iran was “worth it. ” and nine said they felt the United States was coming out of the conflict weaker than before.

Corey M., a 33-year-old independent voter, put it bluntly: he was concerned the U.S. had spent “so much financially and so much of our arsenal,” with little to show for it. “We essentially got nothing out of it,” he said. He added that the war had “hurt our economy and increased expenses for the everyday American. ” while “accomplished the square root of nothing.”.

The focus groups are not designed to be scientifically significant in the way polling is, but the participants were clear about what they were seeing and feeling. All 13 agreed to take part on the condition that they would be identified only by their first name and last initial.

The groups included 10 self-described independents, two Democrats, and one Republican. They were conducted by messaging and market research firms Engagious and Sago as part of the Swing Voter Project. Engagious president Rich Thau moderated the sessions and has been asking voters in key states about this conflict since March.

Thau said the responses had stayed consistent. “They were never on board,” he said. “Not the beginning. Not in the middle. And as we just learned, not at the end either, judging from what we heard from Wisconsin swing voters.”

Sam M., a 30-year-old independent, said what he read about the deal didn’t persuade him the U.S. was in a better position than before the war. He also argued that the Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration—which Trump backed out of—was a better arrangement for the United States.

Even so, the deepest frustration in the focus groups wasn’t framed only around diplomacy or strategy. For most voters, their biggest concern has remained the high gas prices they said were a consequence of the war. Tammy S., a 53-year-old independent, described the conflict as something Americans were trapped inside. “I just don’t think the way that everybody else had to suffer through the tantrums of these two playing tug-of-war — I just don’t think that it was fair to the American people. ” she said. “I don’t think that anybody was a real winner here.”.

Several voters said they have felt squeezed by costs and. in response. have given up parts of life that used to be routine. Jaylyn M. a 27-year-old who identifies as a Republican. said she had stopped doing extracurricular hobbies. naming paddleboarding and yoga. and cut subscriptions along with her daily coffee. “Which is minor, but all things that I’ve had to give up to make ends meet,” she said.

Robyn T., a 63-year-old independent, described it differently but still in personal terms. “I had to raise all my deductibles on everything — my car insurance, my health insurance — to lower my premiums, so that I can continue to make it,” she said.

The political pressure is not lost on voters either. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released on Thursday found that only a third of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the economy.

Inside the focus groups, nine of the 13 voters said they were more anxious about the economy than they had been before Trump took office last year. And all but one voter said “President Trump himself is responsible for those higher prices” because of the war.

Thau told NPR that 10 voters also felt the president is out of touch with their economic concerns. “So for them, there’s a clear disconnect between how the president’s operating on the economy and what their needs are,” he said.

With midterm elections approaching—and with Republicans facing potentially tough political terrain—voters described a sense that Trump isn’t delivering on what they care about now. Josh K. a 29-year-old independent. said the frustration cuts across issues: “It seems to me. like. pick your issue. and things are not going well for him.” He added that the war in Iran hadn’t produced tangible results and returned repeatedly to prices. “I mean. we got this stupid war in Iran. and it turns out that we actually aren’t getting anything out of it. I mean, all we got was $4 gas. I mean, pick your issue — the economy, things are more expensive.”.

In Wisconsin, the framework agreement to end the conflict may be a step toward resolution. But the people watching it are signaling something else: for many of them, the fight already feels like a loss—and the costs are still landing at home.

Wisconsin swing voters Trump Iran war framework agreement gas prices midterm elections Swing Voter Project economy approval