A New York Times/Siena poll found that 31% of likely voters approve of the war with Iran.

Posted by The Headlines, Sep 16, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 3 support1 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 65%

The HeadlinesSep 16, 2026

The 31% figure matches NYT/Siena likely-voter results reported by NBC and PennLive for the September 8-13 wave, which is the poll in effect on the 2026-09-16 posting date. The sources measure approval of Trump's handling of the Iran war rather than approval of the war itself, a wording difference the summary should note.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… It doesn't carry the force of law, but the fact that enough Republican lawmakers continue to join with Democrats to pass these measures underscores widespread frustration over the war's effects at home, including gas prices. A New Time Sienna poll of likely voters found that only 31% approve of the war with Iran. Now, three other updates on the Trump administration. First, the White House has signed off on a 2.8 billion dollar arms deal with Israel, according to an official familiar with the proposed sale. …

The Headlines · Sep 16, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. NBC News reports that a New York Times/Siena poll of likely voters found 31% approved of Trump's handling of the Iran war.[1]

Supports. PennLive reports a New York Times/Siena poll (conducted Sept. 8-13 among 1,503 voters) showing 31% approval on the war in Iran.[2]

Supports. Susan Estrich's column repeats the same 31% figure from the NYT/Siena poll, but it is a derivative of the same poll rather than independent corroboration.[3]

Context. The NYT/Siena toplines for the later Sept 21-Oct 1 wave show about 35% of likely voters approving of Trump's handling of the war (19% strongly, 16% somewhat), a different poll wave published after the claim date.[4]