WASHINGTON (AP) — While most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the conflict is not weighing as heavily on his public perception as it did on President Joe Biden, a new poll shows.
That’s because of Trump’s solid support from his base on this issue. The survey of U.S. adults from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the conflict. Only about 4 in 10 Democrats approved of Biden’s handling of the conflict last June, shortly before Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
“During Trump’s first administration, we did not actively start any wars. And there’s a stark difference between his history and his first term versus the Biden presidency. And I think Trump is just trying to fix things that Biden let get out of hand,” said Patrick Vigil, a 60-year-old Republican from New Mexico who voted for Trump in November's election.
The poll suggests Republicans are growing more satisfied with the country’s foreign policy actions as Trump pulls back U.S. support for Ukraine and puts new pressure on allies — notably with his talk of annexing Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Trump has warned Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” if Israeli hostages weren’t returned immediately and urged Israel to wrap up their offensive and “get it over with.” He has supported ceasefire talks in both conflicts and said he’d end the war between Ukraine and Russia within “24 hours” — or even before taking office. Since becoming president again, Trump has publicly torn into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but also tried to pressure Russia's Vladimir Putin to accept a peace deal.
Broadly, Republicans are more content with the U.S. on solving global issues now that President Trump is in office. About half of Republicans say the U.S.’s current role in world affairs is about right, up from about 2 in 10 last February when Biden was president.
There's a greater consensus that the U.S. should be focused on ceasefire negotiations in Israel and Ukraine than there was last year too. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, up from about half in an AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2024, with a similar uptick on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Republicans have grown more committed to both foreign policy goals since Trump took office, according to the poll. For instance, about 6 in 10 Republicans now think it's highly important for the U.S. to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, up from about 4 in 10 last year.
“I think we really need to step back and figure out a way just to bring everybody to the table so that they can use their own resources and figure out what they need to do to compromise,” said Lisa Major, 61, a registered Republican from Kentucky who voted for Trump in November.
Keith Willey, a Republican-leaning registered independent from Florida who voted for a third-party candidate for president, said peace deals in Ukraine and Gaza have become more important to him over time amid mounting death and destruction.
But Willey said he doesn’t support a deal that allows Hamas to stay in control in Gaza and he doesn’t support a ceasefire in Ukraine that divides it up with Russia or hinges on the U.S. taking control of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
He still supports strong American intervention on Ukraine’s behalf against Russia, supports strong U.S. backing of Israel and doesn’t like Trump’s friendly relationship with Russia or Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m not tired of giving weapons to Ukraine. I think we should support where we can to have them fight for their own country. But, generally speaking, I would like to see a ceasefire,” Willey, 63, said.
Many Republicans don't want more investment in Ukraine, though — only about 2 in 10 think providing aid to Ukraine's military to fight Russia is “extremely” or “very” important — and not all of Trump's voters are satisfied with Trump's ceasefire efforts.
Michael Johnson, a 36-year-old registered independent from North Carolina who voted for Trump, isn't happy with Trump's handling of Israel's war in Gaza or the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Johnson said Trump had held himself out as a president who could bring the wars to an end quickly but hasn't.
“I don’t think he went through with what he said he would do,” Johnson said. “He said he would stop it, but it’s still going on. There’s a lot of people losing their lives out there, young kids and stuff.”
And many Republicans want Trump to continue shrinking American involvement abroad. About 4 in 10 Republicans now say the U.S. should take a less active role in world affairs.
That includes Major, who supports Trump, likes how he’s handling foreign conflicts and sees him trying to reduce the role the U.S. plays in the world, as she wants him to do.
“For one, it takes our attention off of the citizens of America, but also it may be sending a really negative message where we keep involving ourselves in other people’s issues when we can’t figure out our own issues,” Major said.
Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,229 adults was conducted March 20-24, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Palestinian children play on swings amid the rubble during Eid al-Fitr in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinian girls dressed for Eid al-Fitr celebrations walk next to destructions in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
FILE - Rescuers work on site of a residential building destroyed by a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are back to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, and they made it look easy.
The top-ranked Sabalenka solved some early struggles holding serve and overpowered Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday. Alcaraz also advanced in straight sets, beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I'm happy with that performance,” Alcaraz said. “I played my game. I tried to play my style. Tommy’s such a talented player. His shots are pretty dangerous and it's sometimes pretty difficult to control the ball when it comes to you, so I just tried to be ready.”
Townsend broke Sabalenka three times in her first four service games as she looked to spring the upset. Sabalenka found a groove, regained her confidence and did not lose another point after falling behind 3-1 in the second set.
“I love matches like that because it was really challenging," Sabalenka said. “Going through tough challenges and overcoming those challenges, it definitely gives you strength and really strong belief that you can do it.”
This was the first meeting between Sabalenka and Townsend, who gave her opponent fits in the first set but struggled to find her own rhythm.
“This was the most comfortable and confident I’ve ever been playing against a No. 1 player in the world,” Townsend said. “From the beginning, I felt like I belonged. From the beginning, I felt like I was right where I needed to be. I still feel that way.”
Next up for Sabalenka is Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova, who needed six match points to get past Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
"I played a couple of matches against her in the past, which also wasn’t the easiest matches," Sabalenka said of Noskova. “Really aggressive style of the game. Serving really well, playing super fast. You’ve got to stay really low to be able to handle that power and energy.”
Playing his first tournament following a four-month absence because of a right wrist injury, Alcaraz said last week he would not be coming back if he could not play like his usual self. The 23-year-old Spaniard has made good on that so far, dropping just one set through four rounds.
Alcaraz dictated play on the way to extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 18. When Paul was making things interesting in the third set, Alcaraz set up match point by hitting a shot so perfectly in bounds that it left actor Matthew McConaughey in disbelief, along with many others in the crowd.
Asked if he thinks he is back to form, Alcaraz responded, “I think so.” The U.S. Open is bringing that out in him.
“I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” Alcaraz said. “It doesn't matter that I was out four months and a half. Every time that I come here, I play my best.”
Alcaraz will play Tuesday against American Ben Shelton, the No. 8 seed who swept Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday night in his strongest performance of the tournament.
“We're happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays," Shelton said of Alcaraz. "I think it's going to be fireworks on Tuesday night.”
Townsend and Paul were among the 10 Americans to reach the men’s and women’s round of 16. That is the most in the fourth round at any Grand Slam in nearly a quarter-century, going back to the 2002 U.S. Open, when there were 11.
The five U.S. men — Paul, Shelton, Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen — are the most at a major since eight in 1995 at Flushing Meadows.
“American tennis has been on the up and up for many years now,” Townsend said. “There have been a really consistent chunk of players — Jess, Coco — (who) have been at the top and inside the top five for the last, I don’t know how many years. Ben, Frances, Tommy, Taylor: It’s just such a great group of men, as well.”
At 20, Tien is the youngest American man in the U.S. Open fourth round since Andy Roddick in 2002.
Tiafoe knocked off seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) to improve to 10-0 in his career at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which he called “the people's court." Michelsen beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4.
Michelsen and Tiafoe will meet in the quarterfinals Tuesday, guaranteeing an American man in the semifinals. No U.S. men's player has won a Grand Slam since Roddick in New York in '03.
There will also be an all-American matchup in the women's quarterfinals. No. 3 Jessica Pegula got there by beating No. 16 Sorana Cirstea and will face 26th-seeded Emma Navarro, who ousted No. 21 Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, reacts during a match against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Alex Michelsen, of the United States, reacts after he won his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, of Argentina, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, reacts during a match against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Tommy Paul, of the United States, returns the ball to Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, reacts during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Tommy Paul, of the United States, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, serves the ball to Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Taylor Townsend, of the United States, arrives for her match against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts as she competes against Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Taylor Townsend, of the United States, right, arrives for her match against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Taylor Townsend, of the United States, arrives for her match against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, arrives for her match against Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, arrives for her match against Taylor Townsend, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
