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American Support for US Strikes against Syria Split along Partisan Lines

RESEARCH Public Opinion Survey by Dina Smeltz and Lily Wojtowicz
American soldiers at US army base, standing in front of a sunset.
Reuters

A majority of Americans support the joint airstrike conducted by the US, UK, and France against Syria and would favor additional strikes if Syria uses chemical weapons again.

Key Findings

On April 14, 2018, the United States, United Kingdom, and France conducted joint airstrikes against several facilities in Syria believed to be part of the Syrian government's chemical weapons program. This attack was a response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons in Douma the week before. Immediately after the strikes, US Defense Secretary Mattis warned that Syria would be "ill-advised" to employ any future use of chemical weapons.

A majority of Americans expressed support for the strikes, though Democrats tended to oppose them. And majorities among both self-described Democrats and Republicans would favor additional strikes if Syria uses chemical weapons again, though they also expect that future strikes would escalate US-Russia tensions.

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About the Authors
Vice President, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
Headshot for Dina Smeltz
Dina Smeltz, a polling expert, has more than 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys. Prior to joining the Council to lead its annual survey of American attitudes on US foreign policy, she served in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the US State Department's Office of Research from 1992 to 2008.
Headshot for Dina Smeltz
Janne E. Nolan Nuclear Security Fellow, Truman Center
Headshot photo of Lily Wojtowicz
Lily Wojtowicz is the Janne E. Nolan Fellow for Nuclear Security and a PhD student at American University. Her research interests are nuclear deterrence, alliance management, Russian public opinion, and US-Russian relations.
Headshot photo of Lily Wojtowicz