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POLL: A Super-Majority of Americans Support the Houthi Strikes

As the Trump Administration continues to restore deterrence in the Red Sea, new national Harvard-Harris polling proves what the White House has said all along: the vast majority of Americans support its airstrikes against Houthi terrorists.

Key Findings

  • Super-Majority Support for the Strikes: According to the poll, 71% of Americans support President Trump’s decision to strike the Houthis and restore maritime security. That includes 58% of Democrats and a super-majority of independents.
  • America First, Not Leading From Behind: 60% of voters surveyed said President Trump was right to have the United States conduct the strikes rather than wait on Europe to take action – showing clear support for an America First leadership approach.
  • The Republican Consensus is Clear: An overwhelming share of Republicans – 86% – believe it was wise to strike the Houthi terrorists and almost three-quarters of Republicans didn’t think we should wait on Europe to take action.

This poll shows Americans roundly reject the Biden Administration’s strategy of retreat in the Middle East. It also proves just how unpopular its approach was: even a majority of Democrats acknowledge it was wrong to leave U.S. warships as sitting ducks for the Houthis to terrorize alongside commercial ships.

Degrading the Houthis is in the National Interest:

  • Re-opening the Suez Canal for international commerce supports American businesses, consumers, and demonstrates U.S. support for freedom of navigation.
  • Houthi attacks on international cargo ships forced them to spend between $500,000 (lower EIA estimate) and $1,000,000 (White House estimate) in extra fuel costs circling around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. With around 20,000 tankers and commercial ships forced to divert from the Suez canal since October 2023, the Houthi’s naval blockade has imposed between $10-20 billion in global economic damage, costs passed on to American businesses and consumers.
  • With 15% of global shipping traveling through the Suez Canal, shipping prices for 40-foot steel containers rose from $1,500 to $6,000 (and as high as $8,700) per container, passing even more costs on to American businesses and consumers.

The Biden Years: A Houthi Golden Age

  • President Biden’s appeasement of Iran fueled and funded Houthi attacks. The White House gave unprecedented sanctions relief to Iran and bankrolled its war machine with lax sanctions enforcement, allowing Tehran to acquire an extra $100 billion in oil sales.
  • This cash infusion enabled it to fund and supply the Houthis with training, weapons, and explosives. The Houthis used this to acquire advanced weaponry, including suicide drones and ballistic missiles.
  • American weakness invited war. For over a year, Houthi terrorists attacked ships and sailors while the Biden White House refused to neutralize Houthi assets. Reactive half-measures signaled that attacks on the U.S. would face few consequences.
  • Biden proved that American inaction is provocative. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted our Navy warships, sunk Western commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and even almost hit the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv.