The myth of rally round the flag
This article was published by Tribune News Service on May 20, 2026. It appears here as syndicated in The State.
It is commonly held wisdom that the American people unite behind their president in times of crisis. This “rally round the flag” effect describes boosts in presidential popularity that bridge the partisan divide. Public opinion on the war with Iran has so far defied this assumption, indicating the phenomenon may be more myth than reality.
Nearly three months after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, a majority of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump has handled the conflict. A new poll from the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group shows deep partisan splits on Trump’s handling of the Iran war.
A rally round the flag effect seems to be largely absent. Democrats are overwhelmingly against the military campaign (90% disapprove), while Republicans are mostly supportive (73%). Independents lean more the way of Democrats: 23% approve and 62% disapprove.
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Read Eloise’s full piece in The State
Written by Eloise Cassier
Eloise Cassier is a research associate at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group.
This post is part of Independent America, a research program led out by Jonathan Guyer, which seeks to explore how US foreign policy could better be tailored to new global realities and to the preferences of American voters.
