UI Expert: US Public Weary, Burden of War Pressures Trump
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Public weariness in the United States towards the conflict with Iran is increasingly mounting and could become a political burden for President Donald Trump, particularly amid declining public support, according to Suzie Sudarman, a US expert from the University of Indonesia.
According to Suzie, the impasse in negotiations to end the conflict with Iran opens the possibility for Trump to consider new strike options.
“The US could attack Iran, but the ones bearing the cost (of war) would certainly be its people, who are already weary of Donald Trump’s behaviour,” said Suzie in response to ANTARA questions in Jakarta on Friday.
The Chair of the US Studies Centre at UI explained that in various scenarios for new strikes available to Trump, Iran still has a significant opportunity to resist and even surpass the US, especially if it receives support from China and Russia.
In such conditions, Trump is assessed as no longer able to use the war as a tool to rally public support. Even his main support base in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) group is said to be starting to split and not fully supporting the war.
“The nationalist elements of the US championed by the MAGA group are divided; they are unwilling for the US to be ridden by Zionists,” said Suzie, referring to the pro-Trump far-right group.
She also highlighted the increasing difficulties faced by the government in accounting for the swelling war costs, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth struggling to answer questions from US Congress members during a recent hearing on the Iran war costs.
Nevertheless, Suzie believes Trump can still rely on support from Republican Congress members to not obstruct his steps in continuing the war with Iran.
Under the US constitutional system, the authority to declare war lies with Congress, not the president. Through the War Powers Resolution, Congress has the right to limit presidential actions and halt military operations without legislative approval.
“Trump will also consider further steps by gauging whether the Republican Party remains loyal in supporting him,” said Suzie.
However, concerns among Republican Congress members about potential defeats in this year’s midterm elections are assessed to keep them loyal to Trump and unwilling to approve the implementation of the War Powers Resolution.
Previously, the US and Iran held the first round of negotiations in Islamabad on 11 to 12 April 2026, but failed to reach an agreement to end the conflict.
Several issues remain as stumbling blocks, including those related to the Strait of Hormuz, the US blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran’s right to uranium enrichment.