Troops like Trump, especially Marines … Vets love him
According to the latest poll conducted by the Military Times, Trump is much more popular with men and women in uniform than with civilians.
“Overall, about 44 percent of all troops surveyed in the Military Times poll have a favorable view of Trump, while roughly 40 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him,” the Military Times divulged. “That’s a stark contrast to opinion polls of the general public, which have shown Trump’s popularity at less than 40 percent and an unfavorable rating as high as 56 percent.”
Even though soldiers hold their commander-in-chief in high regards, the same cannot be said for officers.
“While almost 48 percent of enlisted troops approve of Trump, only about 30 percent of officers say the same, the poll shows … [as Trump’s] first nine months in office have been marked by military policies that have drawn both praise and concern from Pentagon leaders,” the Military Times’ Leo Shane III reported. “More than 53 percent of officers said they had an unfavorable view of the president … and women and minorities in the ranks share similar skepticism.”
Bold military leadership troops trust
More than 1,100 active-duty troops were surveyed in September, and a good majority of them support the military decisions made by the new commander-in-chief – twice as many as those who don’t.
“When asked specifically about Trump’s handling of military policies, about 55 percent of all troops surveyed rated Trump’s policies as favorable, versus 26 percent unfavorable,” Shane revealed.
A number of decisions the president has made regarding the military have been extremely popular with troops.
“Military-related policies have been central to Trump’s first year in office,” the Military Times reporter noted. “His vows to boost military spending are popular, and his push to eliminate bureaucratic interference in battlefield decisions has received high marks from the troops. His pick for a secretary of defense, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, has drawn widespread support.”
Phil Carter, who serves as the director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security, says an overwhelming majority of service members are enthusiastic about Trump’s choice for defense secretary, who was called “Mad Dog” by the soldiers who served under him.
“That’s the Mattis effect,” Carter stressed, according to Newsmax.
The numbers show that Trump’s popularity will only increase as a result of his choice to bring in Mattis to lead military affairs.
“Mattis is arguably the president’s most well-regarded appointee, and he is especially beloved in the Marine Corps, specifically, and the military at large,” Shane pointed out. “More than 84 percent of troops said they had a favorable view of Mattis – a rare point of agreement among the diverse military communities.”
The president’s choice to bring in another former Marine will also work to build confidence in his administration.
“Trump’s chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, was less well-known among poll respondents, but still had a nearly 59 percent favorable rating from troops surveyed – against a 7 percent unfavorability response,” Shane added.
Supporters and detractors
When it comes to the different branches of the military, support greatly fluctuates, with the Marines showing the most enthusiasm for their new commander-in-chief and the Navy showing the least support.
“Among the individual services, Trump is least popular among sailors (49 percent unfavorable) and most popular among Marines (59 percent favorable),” the pollster informed.
Gender and ethnicity were found to make a profound difference, as well.
“Military men were much more likely to support Trump than women (47 percent favorable for men, 32 percent for women),” Shane explained “Non-white servicemembers were much more likely to oppose the president (51 percent unfavorable) than white troops (37 percent unfavorable).
Most veterans love Trump
Even more than current enlisted troops, American military veterans have a high opinion of the first-year commander-in-chief.
A poll conducted in April by the Pew Research Center indicated that 98 percent of GOP vets approved of Trump’s handling of things from the Oval Office – with 54 percent of all vets supporting him. The numbers drastically change, however, as political persuasion drifts away from the right, with only 47 percent of Independent vets giving the commander-in-chief the thumbs up and a mere 10 percent of Democratic veterans supporting him.
Pew Research Center Analyst Shiva Maniam noted how opinions about the president have remained relatively consistent since he was elected.
“U.S. veterans – who broadly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election – have remained positive about the job he is doing as president,” Maniam wrote, according to the Washington Times. “In April, 54 percent of those who have served in the military approved of his job performance. Trump’s job approval among the overall public was just 39 percent, according to the same survey.”
American veterans were twice as confident in Trump’s ability to lead the country around than his Democratic rival around election time last year.
“Last fall, Trump held a wide 60 percent – 34 percent advantage over Hillary Clinton among veterans, according to the national exit poll conducted by Edison Research for the National Election Pool,” Maniam explained.
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