Donald Trump's war with Iran is weighing on independent US voters, a crucial bloc likely to determine if the president's Republican Party maintains control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
At a breakfast diner in Pennsylvania, a swing state where voters often shift between parties, there was a mix of anger and confusion over the new conflict.
kAmQ%CF>AVD ;FDE >:C:?8 FD :? 2?@E96C xC2B[ ':6E?2> D:EF2E:@?[Q D2:5 C6E:C65 A@DE2= H@C<6C y@=6?6 {=@J5[ ed[ C676C6?4:?8 E96 EH@ AC@=@?865 H2CD @7E6? D66? 2D 72:=FC6D 7@C E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm{=@J5 92D ?6G6C G@E65 7@C %CF>A[ 3FE 92D AC6G:@FD=J DA=:E 96C E:4<6E 36EH66? A2CE:6D]k^Am
kAm}@E E9:D J62C \\ :? }@G6>36C[ D96 H:== @?=J DFAA@CE s6>@4C2ED]k^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42?D @?=J ?2CC@H=J 4@?EC@= r@?8C6DD \\ H96C6 6G6CJ D62E :D FA :? E96 w@FD6 2?5 23@FE @?6\E9:C5 @7 E96 $6?2E6 \\ D@ 6G6? 2 D>2== =@DD @7 G@E6CD 4@F=5 DA6== EC@F3=6]k^Am
kAm%96 >:5E6C> 4@?E6DED H:== 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C %CF>A 8@G6C?D H:E9 2 4@@A6C2E:G6 r@?8C6DD @C 7246D 2 s6>@4C2E:4 >2;@C:EJ 6>A@H6C65 E@ 3=@4< =68:D=2E:@? 2?5 =2F?49 :?G6DE:82E:@?D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 4@DE @7 =:G:?8 2=C625J 7C@?E @7 >:?5 7@C >2?J G@E6CD[ 2?J AC:46 :?4C62D6D @G6C E96 xC2? H2C 2C6 DFC6 E@ 762EFC6 :? s6>@4C2E:4 42>A2:8? 2EE24<D]k^Am
kAmQv2D AC:46D 2C6 @3G:@FD=J D<JC@4<6E:?8]]] xEVD 2 E@E2= >6DD[Q D2:5 {=@J5[ ?FCD:?8 2 4@7766 2D D96 H2E4965 E96 >@C?:?8 ?6HD]k^Am
kAmx?56A6?56?E G@E6CD @AA@D6 &$ >:=:E2CJ 24E:@? 282:?DE xC2? 3J e_ E@ b` A6C46?E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C646?E "F:??:A:24 &?:G6CD:EJ DFCG6J]k^Am
kAm%92E 5:G:D:@? H2D 4=62C H96? pu! G:D:E65 {6G:EE@H?[ 2 3=F6\4@==2C 2C62 @? E96 @FED<:CED @7 !9:=256=A9:2 =:?65 H:E9 42C 562=6CD9:AD 2?5 2FE@ C6A2:C D9@AD]Â k^Am
k9am\ Vp =:EE=6 D42CJV \k^9am
kAm}6IE E@ {=@J5 D2E H6=56C ':?46 {F4:D2?@[ H9@ G@E65 7@C %CF>A :? a_ac 2?5 D2:5 96 D66D xC2? 2D 2 E9C62E E@ E96 &$]Â k^Am
kAmQxV> 7:?6 H:E9 :E 2D =@?8 2D E96C6VD ?@E 3@@ED @? E96 8C@F?5] %96? xV== 36 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 =:<6 :?G6DE65 2?5 H@CC:65 23@FE :E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 E@ ;FDE 92?5=6 :E 2?5 32D:42==J AFE xC2? :? E96:C A=246] ~?46 :E 364@>6D 2 7F==\3=@H? H2C[ E96? :E 86ED 2 =:EE=6 D42CJ[Q 25565 E96 ca\J62C\@=5]k^Am
kAm{F4:D2?@[ H9@ H@C6 2 9@@5:6 C625:?8 Qs@?VE =6E E96 92C5 52JD H:?[Q D2:5 96 DE:== A=2??65 E@ G@E6 #6AF3=:42? :? }@G6>36C 56DA:E6 >:D8:G:?8D 23@FE %CF>AVD DA6?5:?8 @? 7@C6:8? A@=:4J]k^Am
kAmQ%96 8FJ H9@ C2? @? Vp>6C:42 u:CDEV :D 5F>A:?8 3:==:@?D @G6CD62D] (6VC6 ?@E AFEE:?8 p>6C:42 7:CDE E96C6[ 3F5[Q {F4:D2?@ D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 "F:??:A:24 &?:G6CD:EJ A@== 7@F?5 E92E f` A6C46?E @7 :?56A6?56?ED E9:?< E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D ?@E AC@G:565 2 4=62C 6IA=2?2E:@? @7 E96 C62D@?D 369:?5 &$ :?E6CG6?E:@? :? xC2?]k^Am
kAmp?2=JDED D2J E92E G28F6 >6DD28:?8 4@F=5 9FCE %CF>AVD #6AF3=:42?D :? E96 >:5E6C>D]Â k^Am
kAmr9C:DE@A96C q@C:4<[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 |F9=6?36C8 r@==686 x?DE:EFE6 @7 !F3=:4 ~A:?:@? :? !6??DJ=G2?:2[ ?@E65 E92E E96 4@?7=:4E 4@>6D @? E@A @7 6I:DE:?8 4@?46C?D 23@FE 277@C523:=:EJ 2?5 :>>:8C2E:@?]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?VD DECF88=6D :? 56=:G6C:?8 2 4@>A6==:?8 2?5 4=62C 42D6 7@C E96 >:=:E2CJ 24E:@?D :? xC2? 2?5 E96 D:>F=E2?6@FD 6I246C32E:?8 67764ED @? E96 4@DE @7 =:G:?8 :? E96 &$ 92G6 @?=J 25565 E@ E96 #6AF3=:42?D’ E65:@FD A@D:E:@? 2>@?8 :?56A6?56?ED[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ VrC24<:?8 2 76H 688DVk^9am
kAmq@33J |2C@KK:[ 2? 6>A=@J66 2E E96 5:?6C[ D2:5 96 25>:C6D %CF>A 7@C 24E:?8 E@ DE@A xC2? 7C@> 92G:?8 ?F4=62C H62A@?D[ 6G6? :7 96 H2D F?DFC6 9@H >:=:E2CJ 24E:@? H:== 36?67:E p>6C:42?D =@?8\E6C>]k^Am
kAmQx7 %CF>A :D 4@>:?8 @FE 2?5 D2J:?8 H6 92G6 E@ D24C:7:46 :? @C56C E@ 92G6 2 36EE6C 7FEFC6[ x H@F=5 3FJ :?E@ E92E `__ A6C46?E[Q E96 bf\J62C\@=5 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx7 :EVD 9:89 82D AC:46D 2?5 9:89 8C@46C:6D E92E H6 92G6 E@ D24C:7:46 7@C E96 ?6IE 7@FC J62CD[ :EVD ~z D@ =@?8 2D E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D 8@:?8 E@ 86E D@>6E9:?8 5@?6]Qk^Am
kAm|2C@KK:[ H9@ 564=:?65 E@ D92C6 9:D G@E:?8 C64@C5 @G6C AC:G24J 4@?46C?D[ 6IA=2:?65 E92E 96 42? 6>A2E9:K6 H:E9 2 ?@ A2:?[ ?@ 82:? >6?E2=:EJ]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2 D2J:?8 :? E96 3C62<72DE 3FD:?6DD E92E J@F 42?VE >2<6 2? @>6=6E H:E9@FE 4C24<:?8 2 76H 688D[ J@F <?@HnQ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C y@=6?6 {=@J5[ E96 C6E:C66 2?5 2 C68F=2C 2E |2C@KK:VD C6DE2FC2?E[ 96C >6DD286 @? E96 xC2? H2C H2D 72C =6DD 4@>AC@>:D:?8]k^Am
kAmQ(6 ?665 E@ DE@A[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm3;E^56Dk^Am