Donald Trump's war with Iran is weighing on independent US voters, a crucial bloc likely to determine if the president's Republican Party maintains control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
At a breakfast diner in Pennsylvania, a swing state where voters often shift between parties, there was a mix of anger and confusion over the new conflict.
"Trump's just miring us in another Iraq, Vietnam situation," said retired postal worker Jolene Lloyd, 65, referencing the two prolonged wars often seen as failures for the United States.
Lloyd has never voted for Trump, but has previously split her ticket between parties.
Not this year -- in November, she will only support Democrats.
Republicans only narrowly control Congress -- where every seat is up in the House and about one-third of the Senate -- so even a small loss of voters could spell trouble.
The midterm contests will determine whether Trump governs with a cooperative Congress or faces a Democratic majority empowered to block legislation and launch investigations.
With the cost of living already front of mind for many voters, any price increases over the Iran war are sure to feature in Democratic campaign attacks.
"Gas prices are obviously skyrocketing... It's a total mess," said Lloyd, nursing a coffee as she watched the morning news.
Independent voters oppose US military action against Iran by 60 to 31 percent, according to a recent Quinnipiac University survey.
That division was clear when AFP visited Levittown, a blue-collar area on the outskirts of Philadelphia lined with car dealerships and auto repair shops.
- 'A little scary' -
Next to Lloyd sat welder Vince Lucisano, who voted for Trump in 2024 and said he sees Iran as a threat to the US.
"I'm fine with it as long as there's not boots on the ground. Then I'll be a little more like invested and worried about it," he said.
"We need to just handle it and basically put Iran in their place. Once it becomes a full-blown war, then it gets a little scary," added the 42-year-old.
Lucisano, who wore a hoodie reading "Don't let the hard days win," said he still planned to vote Republican in November despite misgivings about Trump's spending on foreign policy.
"The guy who ran on 'America First' is dumping billions overseas. We're not putting America first there, bud," Lucisano said.
The Quinnipiac University poll found that 71 percent of independents think the Trump administration has not provided a clear explanation of the reasons behind US intervention in Iran.
Analysts say that vague messaging could hurt Trump's Republicans in the midterms.
Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Pennsylvania, noted that the conflict comes on top of existing concerns about affordability and immigration.
"The administration's struggles in delivering a compelling and clear case for the military actions in Iran and the simultaneous exacerbating effects on the cost of living in the US have only added to the Republicans’ tedious position among independents," he said.
- 'Cracking a few eggs'
Bobby Marozzi, an employee at the diner, said he admires Trump for acting to stop Iran from having nuclear weapons, even if he was unsure how military action will benefit Americans long-term.
"If Trump is coming out and saying we have to sacrifice in order to have a better future, I would buy into that 100 percent," the 37-year-old said.
"If it's high gas prices and high groceries that we have to sacrifice for the next four years, it's OK so long as the Trump administration is going to get something done."
Marozzi, who declined to share his voting record over privacy concerns, explained that he can empathize with a no pain, no gain mentality.
"We have a saying in the breakfast business that you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, you know?" he said.
For Jolene Lloyd, the retiree and a regular at Marozzi's restaurant, her message on the Iran war was far less compromising.
"We need to stop," she said.
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