Swing voters in Georgia say the Iran war is going poorly.
When asked how the conflict makes them feel, a group of 13 voters used words like “afraid,” “angry,” “concerned,” “sad” and “despair.” Many said they’re worried the war is being mishandled and will keep creating economic pressures at home.
The voters took part in two online focus groups Tuesday night run by messaging and market research firms Engagious and Sago as part of the Swing Voter Project. NPR is a partner on the project and observed both sessions.
All 13 live in Georgia and voted for Joe Biden in 2020, then supported President Trump in 2024. Seven identified as independents, five as Republicans and one as a Democrat.
Not a single participant described the military action in Iran as going well so far, despite Trump’s claims that the U.S. has decimated Iran and that the war is “very close to over.”
“They are very anxious, some angry, upset when they hear about the war,” said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the groups. “They are not happy that we are there.”
Focus groups aren’t statistically representative, but they can illuminate how certain voters are thinking. In this case, they reflect how some key voters view U.S. military action in Iran, which polls show is broadly unpopular with Americans.
Nick H., a 28-year-old independent, said Trump miscalculated how the war would unfold. “It’s about calculation, his inability to calculate,” Nick said. “It’s clear that he completely underestimated the opponent here.” He noted Iran has bombed U.S. bases and seized the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy, and worried Iran could use drones similarly to tactics seen in the Ukraine war.
Bryan M., a 24-year-old independent, said he’s concerned the U.S. has lost expensive, advanced military equipment. “They’re destroying our most advanced weapons,” he said. “And our weapons shouldn’t be destroyed that easily because they’re more advanced than Iran’s.”
Most participants said they disapprove of Trump’s performance in his second term so far. A central complaint is a perceived gap between the voters’ priorities and those of the president.
“It seems like he’s prioritizing taking over as much of the world as possible,” said Corey W., a 55-year-old independent.
Howard R., 31 and an independent, accused the president of focusing on personal gain, pointing to things like “crypto scams.” Xaveria T., a 44-year-old Republican, said Trump is prioritizing “his own personal gain” over Americans’ economic needs. “How is he going to make us whole again from the job losses and the [economy] and just not being able to buy a home,” she said. “Because that’s kind of my biggest concern right now, is people being able to provide for their families.”
While three participants approved of some aspects of Trump’s performance — such as immigration enforcement — Thau said there’s a broad misalignment between the president’s priorities and what these voters say matters most to them. “They are frustrated … the president isn’t paying attention to what matters most to them,” he said.
Economy is the top concern. Twelve of the 13 said they’re more anxious about the economy now than before Trump returned to office, pointing mostly to rising prices.
“Everything is higher now,” said Dawn H., a 46-year-old Republican. “It’s not going down like he said. Cost of living of everything — food, oil, housing, health care, you name it.”
Joe J., a 56-year-old independent, said Trump’s economic record is the opposite of what was promised. “He said, day one, he was going to bring the prices down on eggs and other things. He’s cut subsidies to health insurance, so that’s gone up,” Joe said. “I see my pocketbook being hit and he’s building a new ballroom for some reason that we don’t need. How about you put some money toward us?”
Bryan M. worries the economy will worsen as the war continues. “No one can predict where this economy’s going to go with the oil prices rising and the food prices rising,” he said.
Other takeaways from the focus groups:
— While the country of Israel drew support from participants, only one voter said they view Israel’s government positively; four viewed it negatively and the rest were neutral.
— Nine of 13 said they’re “very likely” to vote in the November midterms, and most were undecided on which party they’d support. Only two planned to vote for Democrats specifically to send a message to Trump; none said they planned to vote Republican in support of the president.
— A majority expressed concern about data centers being built in their communities, mainly over the water and energy resources required to run them.