The protests that swept the United States on March 28 were not just about Iran. They were about a broader sense that American democracy is under threat, that checks and balances are eroding, and that the president is acting without accountability.
With midterm elections scheduled for November, the political stakes could not be higher. Democrats are already signaling that they will make the war a central campaign issue, accusing Republicans of rubber-stamping an unauthorized conflict that is killing Americans and driving up prices at home.
But the Republican Party is itself divided. While establishment figures have largely rallied around the president, younger conservatives and libertarians are expressing unease. The war, they note, was not part of the platform on which Trump was elected. It was not authorized by Congress. And it has no clear exit strategy.
The polls reflect this unease. Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36 percent the lowest of his presidency. In swing districts, Republican candidates are already distancing themselves from the administration’s war policy, focusing instead on domestic issues like the economy and immigration.
Whether the protests will translate into votes remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the political landscape is shifting, and the war in Iran will be a defining issue in the months ahead.
As one Democratic strategist put it: “This is not 2003. The public is not rallying around the flag. They are asking hard questions and they don’t like the answers.”
