The myth of Republican isolationism

Trump voters support military intervention in Iran at 2-3x the rate as Democrats

Dear readers,

I’m driving back home today from a short vacation in the Smokies, so the Chart of the Week will be brief. I could have taken the day off, but I didn’t want to miss a week, and more importantly I had some thoughts on the politics of potential intervention in Iran to write down.

There are two big points to make. The first is that, despite the conventional wisdom, Republicans are not actually the party of isolationism in America — on attitudes or in policy. The second point is that the situation in the Middle East is potentially very politically toxic for Trump, because it risks both highlighting an issue he is weak on and dividing his party at a crucial time at home.

Let’s look at the data. Please share online, and subscribe for more if you’re new here.