The Vietnam War is the benchmark for unpopular wars in American history. Public opinion turned negative about the Vietnam War in July 1967 when 46% of Americans told Gallup that the war was a mistake, compared to 44% who said it was not.
The idea that Vietnam was a mistake did not become the majority view in the United States until August 1968. It took a year of opposition to the war to reach a majority.
By 1971-1973, only 28%-29% of the American people thought Vietnam was not a mistake. The current one Public opinion on Trump’s war against Iran stands at 27%.
Opinion polls, like everything else, took much more time in the Vietnam era than they do today. The rapid spread of information and the equally rapid ability to gather public feedback on policy decisions accelerate shifts in public opinion.
The perception of all subsequent wars has been viewed through the lens of Vietnam and Iraq.
Let’s look at how popular coalitions for war are built and what mistakes the Trump administration is making below.
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