June 19, 2026

Permission to republish original opeds and cartoons granted.

 

Americans Tentatively Say With Peace Deal Signed U.S. Will Be Better Off Than Before As Trump’s Approval Rebounds 

By Manzanita Miller

In a matter of a few days, President Donald Trump may have altered the trajectory of the most pressing geopolitical conflict in the Middle East right now, the way Americans view the conflict, and his own approval rating. 

On Wednesday, President Trump signed a 14-point agreement with Iran to extend the ceasefire, which kicks off a 60-day period of further negotiations to come to lasting peace and end the conflict once and for all. The agreement states that the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons. It also calls for the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which should go a long way in reducing oil prices that have been held artificially high since March. 

Preliminary polling shows Americans believe that both Iran and the United States will be better off after the peace deal than they were before the war started, indicating that while tensions are still high, voters believe by a slim margin the conflict was worth it.  

A YouGov survey of U.S. adults released June 18 shows Americans say by a slim four percentage points (31 percent to 27 percent) that the U.S. will be better off than it was before the conflict began after the peace deal is signed. Americans also think Iran will be better off than before the conflict started, saying so by 18 points, 36 percent to 18 percent.   

Interestingly there is bipartisan agreement that Iranians will be better off, with Republicans saying so by 25 points, independents agreeing by thirteen points, and even Democrats saying Iranians will be better off by fifteen points.  

However, Democrats argue the U.S. will be worse off than before the conflict began by 33 points. Independents agree by a narrow seven points that the U.S. will be worse off, and Republicans assert that the U.S. will be better off by 52 points.  

As plans for peace with Iran have come into focus this week, President Trump’s approval rating is already rising. 

In the latest Economist/YouGov survey conducted June 13-15 as the outline of the peace deal was already being floated by President Trump, his approval rating has jumped four percentage points since the survey from May 29-June 1. 

The latest survey shows President Trump’s approval rating is up four percentage points since the beginning of June going from 35 percent in early June to 39 percent in the latest survey. His disapproval rating has dropped five points.  

President Trump has made significant strides among swing voters as news of the peace deal began to emerge and fuel prices began to fall.   

He is up four points with Hispanics, four points with independents, six points with men, six points with Black voters and seven points with moderates. He has even tripled his approval rating among liberals, going from two percent to six percent.   

Republicans are also gaining on Democrats in the generic congressional ballot. Real Clear Polling data shows that while Democrats were ahead by 7.4 points as of June 1, leading 48 percent to 40.6 percent, that lead has dropped to 4.8 points. In the latest survey, Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 47.9 percent to 43.1 percent.  

On the Economist/YouGov generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead has halved. Democrats were ahead by six points on June 1, leading 41 percent to 35 percent. Now, Democrats are ahead by three points, leading 39 percent to 36 percent. 

The largest declines for Democrats have occurred among price-sensitive swing voters who are likely beginning to feel the decline in fuel process and project a better economic picture with a peace deal taking place. Black voters have dropped their support for Democrats by six points, going from 65 percent support for a Democrat for Congress in early June to 59 percent now. 

Hispanic support for Democrats has absolutely plummeted, perhaps as Hispanics are beginning to see the GOP as a sound alternative now that a peace deal is emerging and fuel prices are finally heading in the right direction. Since June 1, Hispanic support for a Democrat on the generic congressional ballot has fallen a startling fourteen percentage points, from 48 percent to 34 percent today. Support for a Republican has risen four points, indicating the GOP is the beneficiary of some of this decline, but some Latinos are simply skipping both parties. The share of Latinos saying they would not vote in November has doubled from 11 percent in early June to 21 percent now. Again, most of that percentage drop can be attributed to Latinos who previously planned to support Democrats.    

While the next few weeks will be critical as the U.S. continues to negotiate a lasting peace deal with Iran that prevents the Iranian government from pursuing nuclear weapons and stabilizes the region, early polling shows voters are embracing the peace deal and tentatively believe the United States will be better off than it was before. While Democrats largely disagree that the U.S. will be better off, they still say Iran will be better off than before the war. President Trump’s approval rating has already experienced a bounce back since early June, and if oil prices continue to decline and a lasting peace deal is enforced, those numbers should only improve.   

Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation. 

To view online: https://dailytorch.com/2026/06/americans-tentatively-say-with-peace-deal-signed-u-s-will-be-better-off-than-before-as-trumps-approval-rebounds/ 

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Video: President Trump Signs U.S. Ceasefire Extension With Iran At Versailles

To view online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfLsbhzGqEI 

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To view online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwflBXRqNk