Following a month and a half of military conflict with Iran that has disrupted energy markets and sparked economic concerns worldwide, Americans are grappling with how the war affects their daily lives as a tentative ceasefire remains in effect.
A 65-year-old former Marine from Colorado believes the U.S. and Israeli military actions addressed a longstanding threat that Washington had overlooked for years, while a retired California business owner condemned the conflict as unnecessary and driven by ego.
Economic pressures were a common theme in conversations nationwide, with an Indiana caterer finding it difficult to earn enough to offset increased fuel expenses. In Atlanta, where people enjoyed sunny weather in a public park, a university student blamed the war for damaging the economy, while a 32-year-old cook noted that beyond what appears on television, the conflict feels distant and unreal.
Reuters conducted interviews with 16 individuals across Indiana, New York, California, Georgia and Colorado on Wednesday — one day following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement that preceded planned negotiations in Pakistan this Saturday — to gauge public reaction to the war amid rapid news cycles, continuous social media distractions and deep political divisions.
The military action, initiated without congressional authorization, faces widespread opposition, though opinions vary by political affiliation. A Reuters/Ipsos survey released March 31 revealed that 60% of Americans opposed U.S. strikes against Iran, with 74% of Republicans endorsing the action compared to just 7% of Democrats.
Beyond war-related topics, Reuters questioned participants about economic conditions, national political polarization, and their news consumption habits.
Here are their responses:
DIVIDED OPINIONS ON WAR’S NECESSITY AND JUSTIFICATION
Don Smith, 65, a Marine veteran who operates a contracting company and barbecue establishment in Mead, a northern Colorado community of approximately 6,000 residents that strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2024, considers the military action justified.
“Iran has killed a lot of Americans. They’ve killed a lot of our troops. They’ve supported terrorism against Israel and other places for a long time,” Smith stated, referencing his active duty service in 1983 when an Iranian-backed Hezbollah bombing in Beirut claimed 241 U.S. service members’ lives — an incident that influenced his perspective on Iran. “I think Trump’s just doing what needs to be done right now.”
Terry Lemoine, 82, a retired business owner, voiced his frustration with Trump and the conflict while enjoying sunshine in the outdoor seating section of a Carlsbad shopping center, located in an affluent coastal city 35 miles north of San Diego.
“It never should have happened. He (Trump) just does what he wants to do. He doesn’t care about anybody, just himself. That’s it. The war was just stupid, there was no reason for it,” he explained, suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu influenced Trump’s decision to pursue military action.
“You only see it (the war) on TV, so you don’t feel like it’s real. It’s not here,” observed Antwuan Bannister, a 32-year-old cook, while relaxing in downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, where children played soccer and flew kites as adults enjoyed the warm weather on grass and benches.
“Trump is a macho man, that’s why we’re at war. He wants to run the world. This will backfire on our country.”
Chad Gard, 50, who was offering breads, soups and cinnamon rolls at a farmers market in a Chesterton, Indiana senior living facility parking lot, expressed no surprise that Trump initiated military action despite campaign pledges to promote global peace.
“I didn’t believe him when he was making the promises,” said Gard, who supported Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election. “Now it’s like, where are we going to go to war next?”
“We’re ruining our position in the world, we’re being the bad guys.”
SIGNIFICANT WORRIES ABOUT FUEL COSTS AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
“Our economy sucks,” declared Christian Anderson, a 22-year-old junior at Clark Atlanta University while walking through Centennial Olympic Park. “I’m no economist, but I’m not particularly happy. This pointless war is destroying our economy.”
“Prices have been going up ever since the Biden administration – under Joe Biden, the prices were through the ceiling,” noted Smith in Colorado. “They went down in the first year of Trump’s return, and are rising now because of Iran. Still, prices now are nothing more than they were three or four years ago, so there isn’t much difference.”
Melanie Curtis, owner of Chicago-based Gene Catering and Desserts, explained that increasing fuel costs were significantly affecting her business since she regularly travels to approximately seven Midwestern farmers’ markets weekly, including the Chesterton location.
“With this war going on, and with everything that we have going on in politics, $100,000 is not enough,” Curtis said, describing how her yearly income goal of $100,000 was insufficient to cover expenses. “We’re still underwater, we’re still struggling, we’re still trying to make ends meet.”
Walt Moran, 69, a retired New York City firefighter, expressed concern about lasting consequences from Iran’s decision to prevent shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t drive myself, but, I’ve noticed these things. Even two weeks ago, (the gas price) was $3.50 a gallon, and a couple of days ago, it was $4.19,” Moran said while traveling from Manhattan to Staten Island by ferry. “According to people who know about these things, even if they open up the Strait tomorrow, you know, there’s gonna be such a backlog. You know, it’s not like they open the Strait, and prices go down right away.”
CONCERNS ABOUT EXTENDED CONFLICT AND MILITARY DEPLOYMENT
Dana Cuffy, a registered behavior technician in Atlanta, revealed that her sister serves in the Army Reserves and recently learned she would deploy to Kuwait in August or potentially sooner.
“It’s horrible worry all the time,” said Cuffy, 32, adding that her sister advises “not to worry but how can we not. We try not to show it.”
Aaron Klug, who was selling flowers and green onions at the Chesterton market, worried about potential retaliation against Americans by Iran or its allies.
“I would worry if I was on the coasts,” said Klug, 34, who works with family members at Michigan-based Klug Family Produce. “I would feel very concerned about that, knowing that you are the easy target on the edge unfortunately.”
Kenneth Flowers, 63, a retired healthcare worker, believes Americans will “wake up” if the conflict continues much longer. He thinks Trump seeks an exit strategy rather than ground warfare, an option he doubts other Republicans would endorse.
“I think the Republicans will turn against him, Americans won’t stand for it,” Flowers said while sitting on a bench in Centennial Olympic Park.
“I don’t think it’s gonna stop. I think this will go on for a long time,” predicted Patrick Armstrong, 20, an AI engineer shopping at the Carlsbad mall. “I’m surprised they haven’t dropped a nuclear bomb on them yet.”
NEWS CONSUMPTION RANGES FROM CONSTANT ATTENTION TO DELIBERATE AVOIDANCE
Carrie Sherk, who owns Sweetflower florist in Mead, said her husband completed 22 years of Air Force service including Iraq War deployment, making their household particularly focused on the Iran conflict.
“He’s glued to the TV,” she said about her husband. “It definitely hits close to home.”
“Because we don’t have missiles flying our way here at home, we don’t see the actual consequences of what’s really going on,” observed Anderson, the Clark Atlanta University student. “It doesn’t feel like we’re at war here.”
Christyna Kay, a 38-year-old freelance entrepreneur, said her news intake depends largely on TikTok and Instagram algorithms, with the Iran war not ranking among her top international stories.
“I would like to watch news and be on social media, but I give myself a moment to cut that time off because I also need to live and enjoy my life,” she explained. “The fact that I’m aware of it is important to me… Do I deep dive? I have my limits.”
“I feel like that’s just the biggest topic of conversation,” Klug said at the farmers market. “That’s what a lot of people were talking about: Is it going to keep going? Is it going to stop? What’s going on? What are we doing? Are we going to make everybody mad at us?”
Moran, the retired firefighter, said he has closely monitored the Iran war. He recognizes that his decades-long habit isn’t shared by many younger people.
“My parents taught me from the time I was a kid: follow the news. That was like, you know, part of your obligation,” he said. “I know other people don’t like that, but… I’ve always been the kind of person who reads the paper every day.”
