University of Chicago scholar Robert Pape told Newsmax that the Iran war has increased the political stakes of Israel for President Trump. He said the conflict has shifted Israel from a mostly Democratic concern to a broader issue affecting the president. Rising gasoline prices connect the war to everyday economic pain, widening its political impact and heightening pressure on Trump to deliver results.
Pape: Iran War Has Turned Israel Into a Bigger Political Liability For Trump
Robert Pape (Newsmax)
University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape told Newsmax on Sunday that the war with Iran has raised the political stakes of Israel for President Donald Trump, and that higher gasoline prices have amplified public concern about the conflict.
Speaking on Newsmax's Sunday Report, Pape said Israel had previously been largely a political concern for Democrats and some independents and had not been a major liability for Mr. Trump.
"The key thing to know is before the Iran war, the Israel issue was largely an issue that was in the Democratic side of the House and, of course, some independents, but largely for President Trump, had not been that big of a problem," Pape said.
He added, "It's the Iran war that has magnified that," arguing the escalation is creating a political splinter that complicates the president's standing.
Pape emphasized the conflict's economic channel: rising energy prices make the war's consequences visible to everyday voters. "And that is why he's under so much pressure to show some results," he said. "The big challenge here is that it's gas prices right in front of people's front door that then magnify the Iran war, which magnifies the Israel issue."
His remarks came as Mr. Trump faced questions about his administration's support for Israel and the domestic political fallout from the confrontation with Iran. During the interview Pape cited a Pew Research Center survey showing that 60% of U.S. adults hold an unfavorable view of Israel. Across 36 places surveyed, the median unfavorable rating was 67%, with majorities in most locations expressing negative views.
Pape noted that the Iran war has altered the earlier political dynamic by tying attitudes about Israel to a conflict that has measurable economic effects for Americans. He said the link between fuel costs and the conflict broadens its political impact beyond voters already focused on Israel, increasing pressure on the president to produce tangible outcomes.
In short, Pape concluded, the Iran war has elevated Israel from a largely partisan issue into a broader electoral concern for Mr. Trump—one made more immediate and politically potent by higher gas prices.
Help us improve.
