'Daddy Donny': Trump supporters reluctant on war with Iran

The Leighee family travelled to Washington D.C. from Chicago, lining up for hours in the January chill to attend Donald Trump's victory rally a day ahead of the inauguration.

Their jubilation is on show as the daughters sport an image of a young Trump with the words "Daddy" on their shirts.

The Leighees, who radiate the image of an all-American family, harbor views on Iran and foreign policy that underscore Trump's appeal to disentangle from international conflicts and put "America First".

"I think sanctions and deterrence are imperative," said Mattley Leighee on combating Iran.

The prevailing sentiment among many of the Donald Trump supporters who waited for hours in the cold and rain to attend his victory rally ahead of the president-elect's inauguration is not to engage in war with Iran.

Iran International spoke to several people to get a sense of how they feel about Iran and about Trump's foreign policy.

The Leighees criticized the Biden administration for releasing frozen assets to Iran in a prisoner swap in September 2023 and said they're more concerned with US domestic issues.

"Foreign policy these past four years made us weak," said Mattley Leighee.

Wearing a beige fur vest and a parrot named Murphy sitting atop his left shoulder, Ken Houghton, a Trump supporter said he loves Iran and its people.

"Before there was Rome, there was Persia," said Houghton.

"We cannot go to war. We must be friends," said Houghton on the possibility of going to war with Iran to prevent it from becoming a nuclear power.

"Sanctions and having a strong policy to adversaries is okay, but we cannot go to war with Iran. I love Persian culture, their history is some of the most deeply rooted," he added.

Sue Skelly, who travelled from Southern California to attend the rally, said she hopes that Trump can help the people of Iran.

"I hope Trump can undo what Jimmy Carter did," said Sue Skelly referring to the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousting the monarch in 1979 during the Carter administration, "I have a lot Persian neighbours and I love them."

Heather Hertig, witnessed the shooting of the president-elect in Pennsylvania in July from the first row, and said she views Iran as a threat.

"I feel Iran had a hand in that [shooting]," said Hertig, "I'm afraid of Iran."

The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crook and said he had no ties to Iran. US intelligence has revealed that the Islamic Republic has been behind other attempts on Trump's life.

Hertig supports any move Trump decides to make on Iran, but she said she has a 24-year-old and she doesn't want to see him get drafted.

While fans of Donald Trump are not keen on war, Trump has surrounded himself with Iran hawks like Senator Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz. Trump has threatened to bomb Iran into “smithereens” after reports surfaced of agents at the behest of the Islamic Republic plotted to assassinate him.

Former press secretary Sean Spicer, attending Sunday victory rally, told Iran International he would support any action to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

"The president understands we face multiple threats. Iran being one of them, " said Spicer who served in the White House in 2017, "I would support anything that prevents Iran from becoming a nuclear power.