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Republican leaders and conservative activists gathered at the 2026 Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, rallying behind President Donald Trump's military strikes against Iran — even as national polls reveal deepening voter unease over the ongoing conflict.
The three-day event, held outside Dallas, featured prominent voices from evangelical leaders to former Trump advisers urging the MAGA base to view the Iran war as both a moral and geopolitical necessity. Reverend Franklin Graham, one of America's most recognized Christian evangelists, framed the military campaign in biblical terms, arguing that protecting Israel from a potential nuclear threat justified U.S. intervention. Former senior Trump adviser Mercedes Schlapp echoed that sentiment, calling for Iran's liberation and pledging American solidarity with its people.
Despite the enthusiastic show of support inside the conference hall, the war has taken a measurable toll on Trump's approval ratings. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll placed his approval at 36%, the lowest since returning to the White House. Still, roughly 74% of Republican voters continue to back the strikes, reflecting a stark divide between the party faithful and the broader American public.
Dozens of Iranian-Americans attended the conference, many waving Iranian and American flags in a visible display of support for regime change. Several cited decades of suffering under the Islamic Republic as justification for the military campaign. Former congressman Matt Gaetz stood as a rare dissenting voice, cautioning that U.S. foreign policy remained overly influenced by Israeli interests.
With the November midterm elections approaching, rising fuel prices and fears of a prolonged war are emerging as potential liabilities for Republicans defending narrow congressional majorities. How the Trump administration manages both the military campaign and public messaging could prove decisive in shaping the political landscape ahead.
