A month of war in Iran prompts clashing political views on Long Island

WASHINGTON — One month into the U.S. war against Iran, a surge of troops has been deployed to the region, gas prices are up and public sentiment for the conflict is low, all as President Donald Trump maintains that the operation to quash a longtime adversary will be completed "very shortly."

What Trump described as a "short-term excursion" that would likely last four to six weeks after the United States and Israel led a series of joint aerial strikes on Feb. 28 is now approaching its sixth week, with the president continuing to face questions about the duration of the war and his exit strategy.

Trump, in a prime-time address Wednesday, sought to assure the nation that the war would wrap up "very shortly," saying the United States is "going to hit them extremely hard, over the next two to three weeks." His message was delivered against a backdrop of growing anxiety over a war that has resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members and injuries to nearly 300 others in retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases in the region.

On Long Island, the overseas operation is already starting to provide fodder for the upcoming midterm elections, as Republican supporters defend Trump’s action as a critical national security move and Democrats argue that the ensuing oil price increases from the conflict are adding to the financial pressures faced by many Americans.

"Whenever a nation is at war, there’s always concern for our troops, concern for our economy, concern for our own safety. But the feedback we’ve been getting overwhelmingly is that this was overdue," Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia said in a phone interview, noting that party officials have been speaking to voters for the past month as they collected signatures for candidates to appear on the June 23 primary ballots.

New York Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, who also leads the Nassau County Democratic Committee, said he believes that even if the conflict wraps up within a few weeks it will take time for oil production and prices to stabilize. On Long Island, the average price of regular gas surpassed an average of $4, according to AAA, for the first time in four years.

"No one can be confident that this thing is going to end in two to three weeks given all the different predictions that the president has been making," Jacobs said in a phone interview. "It reminds me of his predictions about COVID disappearing in a matter of a month or two. I think it’s wishful thinking. He’s playing more to the financial markets than he is to reality."

Public skepticism

Nationally, polls show a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's launching a military operation against Iran — with an average of 55% of respondents disapproving of the war compared to an average of 39% in favor, according to an analysis of polls conducted between March 13 and April 2 by the poll tracking site Real Clear Politics.

A majority of New Yorkers — 65% — contend the president should get military authorization from Congress to wage war, according to a Siena College poll released March 31. The poll, conducted between March 23 and 26 of 804 registered voters, found 74% of Democrats, 51% of Republicans and 61% of independents surveyed believe Congress should give the president approval to wage war.

Long Island’s House delegation split along party lines last month on a War Powers Act vote that would have required Trump to seek congressional authorization for future strikes in Iran. Republican Reps. Andrew Garbarino of Bayport and Nick LaLota of Amityville voted against the resolution, with LaLota saying he believed Trump made "the right call" in striking Iran by surprise.

Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi of Glen Cove and Laura Gillen of Rockville Centre voted for the measure, both raising concerns about Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth not ruling out the possibility of placing U.S. troops in Iran.

Lawrence Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, said although "Trump won’t be on the midterm ballot, voter perception of his performance will probably outweigh any other factor in just about every competitive congressional and state races."

While Trump’s 2024 winning coalition included Republicans and swing independents who supported his pledge to not engage in foreign wars, Levy said those voters might opt to sit out the midterms over the opposition to the war in Iran.

"He is viewed so negatively not only by independent swing voters, but by just enough people in the conservative base — angry over the war, at the Epstein files, as well as affordability — that the GOP can’t count on them to show up," Levy told Newsday in an interview. "They’re not likely to vote for a Democrat, but as Democrats saw in some prior elections, just staying home can swing an election."

Aggressive stance

Trump has dismissed reporter questions about polling showing disapproval for the war and has insisted a more aggressive military posture against Iran should have happened sooner.

On Friday, Trump signaled his administration wants to continue increasing military spending, releasing a budget proposal for the upcoming year that calls for $1.5 trillion in defense spending — a 40% increase from the Pentagon’s current budget. The increase in military spending would be offset by cuts to domestic programs including housing assistance and programs for low-income Americans.

In a Friday Truth Social post, the president insisted that "with a little more time," the United States could secure and open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for oil tankers in the region, and "TAKE THE OIL & MAKE A FORTUNE."

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.