Iran: Two Months In
Ready our full analysis here
Overall themes in responses:
Iran survey open-ended responses: theme analysis comparing last month to this month among all respondents
All-respondent theme share — last month vs. this month
Last month
This month
Biggest month-over-month shifts (percentage point change)
+8 pts
Nuclear weapons — now the clear dominant frame at ~43%
-13 pts
Oil & greed — fell sharply as a cynical explanation
-6 pts
Don't know — public feels more informed this month
+6 pts
Strait of Hormuz — barely registered last month, now distinct theme
Partisan analysis
Trump voters
Harris voters
32% vs 9%
Nuclear weapons — Trump voters still ~3.5× more likely to cite this as the main goal
16% vs 7%
Don't know — Harris voters twice as uncertain about what the U.S. is trying to achieve
12% vs 4%
Oil & greed — Harris voters still 3× more likely to cite a cynical economic motive
9% vs 1%
Trump's personal motives — nearly exclusive to Harris voters, but down sharply from last month
Last month
This month
−20 pts
Nuclear weapons — dropped from ~52% to ~32%; the biggest single shift in the data
+8 pts
Security/protection framing — broader "protect America / keep us safe" language replacing nuclear specificity
−8 pts
Regime change — fell from ~12% to ~4%; goal may feel achieved or deprioritized
~flat
Don't know — remained low (~7%), Trump voters still the most opinionated group
Last month
This month
−16 pts
Oil & greed — fell from ~28% to ~12%; economic cynicism is softening
−13 pts
Trump's personal motives — fell from ~22% to ~9%; ego/enrichment framing losing steam
−7 pts
Epstein distraction — fell from ~10% to ~3%; nearly collapsed as a frame
+5 pts
Peace / stay out — combined ~10%; a new "anti-war" current emerging among Harris voters