Overview
- A new Reuters/Ipsos survey places President Trump's overall approval at 38 percent, the lowest since his return to office, with immigration actions drawing broad disapproval.
- Trump used Truth Social to label recent surveys as "lying and fraudulent" and suggested such polling should be treated as a crime while reviving claims about 2020 election polling.
- U.S. intelligence assessments reported by the New York Times say Iran's regime has been severely weakened by late‑2025 protests that reached areas once considered strongholds.
- Advisers are divided over potential U.S. military measures, and a carrier strike group led by USS Abraham Lincoln is positioned in the region as the administration consults allies.
- Human‑rights tallies of protest deaths in Iran vary widely, from roughly 5,500 confirmed to claims exceeding 30,000, with independent verification constrained by censorship and internet outages.