Active-duty military support for Trump is withering away. Polling shows a steady decline with disapproval now, essentially, equaling approval. According to this 900 person Military Times polling,
results show sharp divides within the ranks.
Enlisted men show Trump the most overwhelming support.
Military women, meanwhile, have a much harsher view of Trump’s time in office.
Officers still have a lower opinion of his presidency than enlisted troops.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis might be the sole member of the Cabinet viewed quite positively by those under him. His numbers, in this poll, are a stark contrast to Trump’s: over 80% of those in the survey view Mattis favorably.
In National Review, David French explains that President Trump’s Standing Is Slipping with the Military, for Good Reason.
when it came to the military, Trump was set up for success. He extolled the military throughout the campaign. Many service members were ready for a change after eight years of Obama, and there was little love for Hillary Clinton. Right after his election, he surrounded himself with generals, including Jim Mattis, a man who still has a whopping 73.6 percent approval rating with the troops. Trump started with a reservoir of goodwill
He’s been draining it ever since.
Just consider the past weeks:
Not hard to imagine why Trump’s active-duty support is slip, slip, slipping away.
All of those items, by the way, are post the polling … suggesting that today’s actual situation is better (e.g., worse for Trump) than what is reported here.
Of course, this is putting aside
- the quite high likelihood (discounted by too many in the military) that Trump is an agent of a(t least one) foreign power;
- that Trump has been undermining U.S. military alliance structures around the world;
- Trump’s clear ignorance about basic military issues and larger strategy; and
- …
for a strong discussion of so many other reasons
why Trump should lose support from troops,
see Jon Perr’s excellent/recommended:
A dishonorable discharge for Commander in Chief Trump
French ends his discussion with an important element.
There are times when insults are more than just words. There are times when style and symbols matter as much as substance — in part because they communicate character and intention. Soldiers are looking at the character of their commander [Trump], and an increasing number simply don’t like what they see.