Call Me Back - with Dan Senor How will the Iran War shape American Politics? - with Ross Douthat
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Apr 23, 2026 
Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and podcaster known for analyzing politics and religion, joins to unpack the Iran War’s political ripple effects. He talks about why public support tracks with Trump and why campus protests have been muted. He explores fractures on the left and right over Israel, rising anti-intervention strains, generational divides, and how the conflict accelerates existing political trends.
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War Support Mirrors Trump Approval
- Support for the Iran war closely tracks support for President Trump and remains strongest among Republicans.
- Public backing peaked early and has drifted down modestly, without sparking a large anti-war movement like Iraq or 2020 protests.
Why Campus Protests Stayed Quiet
- Campus protests around the Iran war have been muted compared with post-October 7th activism.
- Douthat attributes this to left sympathy for Palestinian civilian suffering and the absence of vivid anti-civilian imagery from U.S. strikes on Iran.
Administration Pressure Tightened Campus Rules
- Trump administration pressure changed university behavior, making campuses less tolerant of protests.
- Administrators used the threat of federal action as cover to tighten protocols and admissions to reduce activism risk.
