An overwhelming 84% of U.S. adults want the Trump Administration to focus more on the domestic economy, according to an April poll of Americans aged 18 and older by Outward Intelligence.
President Donald Trump ran on economic nationalism, but in 2026 has mostly delivered military adventurism. Now his “America First” promise collides head-on with the reality of an expanding war in the Middle East—one that affects the entire region, and Western economies to boot.
Americans remain generally skeptical of what George Washington termed "foreign entanglements." Nearly six in 10 believe that the U.S. should play little to no role as a global policeman that engages in world affairs through force, the latest Outward Intelligence polling finds. This skepticism predates the Iran War and may well outlast the current conflict, in large part due to the perceived recent failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This negativity seems like a structural shift in national confidence that has real consequences for our global alliances, soft power, and domestic cohesion. The themes of President Jimmy Carter’s 1979 “crisis of confidence” speech ring true in 2026, and they are further amplified by social media in our modern context.
And when Carter said, “We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation,” he could be speaking about the situation today.
Pollsters and political pundits are right to wonder about the Iran War’s midterm impact. When Carter faced a public this dissatisfied, he did not fare well. The bigger picture is that the current conflict and its impact are not singular, though. They are the latest in a long line of crises that reveal something deeper about the American people.
The Americans we polled express little to no confidence in the future of our nation or the leaders elected to consider future generations. Even short-term military wins in Tehran or Venezuela do nothing to reverse the general sentiment that today’s America pales in comparison to that of generations past.
There is historical precedent for a proverbial “vibe shift.” In the early years of the Reagan Administration, for example, hope returned to the nation. Most Americans expressed optimism about the years ahead. President Ronald Reagan’s approval rating hovered around 70% in 1981.
But for now, we have to reckon with our deeper, darker malaise. And we must understand that a crisis of confidence can also be temporary. The night is darkest before the dawn.
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