The confidence of the American populace in their military forces saw a welcomed surge this year, undoubtedly kindled by the recent victory of President-elect Donald J. Trump in the elections. According to a fresh survey by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, a majority of 51% of the participants expressed their unwavering confidence in the military. A mark that breaks the consecutive pattern of dwindling confidence in previous years. Last year, the percentage sat at a measly 46%, this marked improvement is indeed a sight for sore eyes.
The driving force behind this upswing mostly consisted of loyal Republicans and staunch supporters of the new President, Donald Trump. When the Democrats’ sentiments remained stagnant, a promising 56% of Republicans professed a deep-rooted trust in the military, soaring up from the previous year’s 48%. Self-identified Trump voters accounted for an impressive 8-point leap in trust from the outgoing year to the present one.
Confidence towards the military is significantly swayed by the current political climate, as voiced by an analyst. A change in the incumbency of the White House, for example, heavily impacts the baseline level of confidence within the partisan circles. It should come as no surprise that the resurgence in trust among Republicans has its roots in their anticipation for their party’s upcoming tenure in the government.
The rise in trust, as highlighted by the survey, mimics similar trends exhibited by other trustworthy polls. These studies discovered that the trust in public institutions saw a rise post-election albeit no concrete changes occurred at the institutional level. An example to illustrate this is a recent poll which revealed the public’s trust in the economy was on the rise, thanks to the Republicans.
In contrast to the survey’s initial result in 2018, which saw an astounding 70% confidence rate, this year does seem to have fallen short. However, Feb 2021 saw a more dismal figure of 56% only. This year’s confidence levels are still a directional improvement and manage to outperform every other institution in the survey by a wide margin of 17 to 42 points.
The dwindling confidence illustrated by the surveys conducted over the years finds its match even in other reliable polls. An example is an investigation last year, which showed that trust in the military was at its lowest in two decades. Interestingly, past surveys have deduced a link between diminishing confidence and the perception that politics had infiltrated the military, a belief that Republicans were more likely to harbor.
Analysts working in the sector attribute the sharp 25-point decrease in confidence to the military’s increasing politicization. They outline that right-leaning Americans perceive the military as too progressive, while left-leaning individuals viewed it as teeming with extremists. Both sides concur that the military leadership had become overly politicized.
For the previous four years, since Democratic President Joe Biden assumed office, conservative entities, including lawmakers and media personalities, have echoed opinions about progressive ideologies slowly infiltrating the military. In their view, this shift diverts the main focus from preparing servicemen for combat. They rightfully criticize policies that cater to political correctness, such as allowing openly transgender individuals in the forces and issuing travel compensation to soldiers seeking abortions.
President-elect Trump made a promise to his dedicated followers to dismantle these left-wing military protocols and dismiss any high-ranking officials who conform to such ‘progressive’ ideologies. Biden’s policies on transgender personnel and abortion stands to be repealed under his reign, a move much anticipated by his rally of supporters.
Parallel to these events, nearly all sectors of the military have faced challenges in meeting their recruitment quotas. Many Republicans, including Trump, attribute the modern ‘progressive’ military policies as a key deterrent for prospective recruits. This belief is strongly held even while the Pentagon argues in favor of other factors such as a thriving economy.
This year’s survey is not all about dwindling confidence and politicization. It also sheds light on an increased eagerness to serve in the military within the primary recruitment base. Encouragingly, it seems that Republican views are mainly instigating this upward trend. Last year, just 32% of respondents aged 18 to 29 expressed an inclination to serve. Among these, 42% were Republicans.
This year, however, we saw a shift in those figures. As many as 36% asserted their willingness to serve, 47% of whom were die-hard Republicans. This illustrates the prevailing sentiment among patriots who are willing to lay down their lives in service of the nation under the new leadership that assures stern but fair governance. Perhaps it is time for the elves in the military and political corridors to take note of the public pulse and uphold the same to restore both the glory and the trustworthiness of the American military forces.