Former President Trump is leading Vice President Harris among veterans, active-duty military members and their families, according to a new poll of likely voters.
A Change Research poll obtained by The Hill on Wednesday found that Trump leads Harris among veterans, 51 percent to 41 percent, and among active duty military, National Guard and Reserve members, 49 percent to 44 percent. The margin is smaller among veterans' families, with Trump leading Harris, 47 percent to 45 percent.
Semaphores The first to report About the survey.
Pollsters noted that Trump's support among veterans, active-duty military members and their families has all declined slightly since the 2016 election, with the former president's approval rating dropping by at least 9 points among each group. Trump won veterans' support by a 19 percentage point margin in 2016, but now leads by 10 percentage points. Meanwhile, his approval rating among active-duty military members has fallen from 19 points to 5 points, and his approval rating among their families has fallen from 12 points to 2 points.
When asked why they voted for Trump at least once but don't plan to vote in November, 53% said his comments, attitudes and policies toward veterans and military members were part of the reason.
Over the years, Trump has maintained strong support among military veterans, who tend to support the Republican Party, but he has also faced criticism from that same voting group. Many opportunities Since he first ran for the White House.
Last week, Trump came under fire after a reported altercation involving staff at Arlington National Cemetery during a visit to mark the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The former president was joined by several family members of 13 U.S. soldiers killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack, and said the families had asked him to meet them and pose for photographs.
The clash reportedly occurred when cemetery officials tried to stop the Trump campaign team from taking photos and videos of a solemn area of the cemetery dedicated to those who fought in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Critics have argued that Trump used the cemetery as a backdrop for his campaign.
Federal law prohibits political or election-related activists at the cemetery, and the Army said last week that its personnel were swept away by the Trump campaign when they tried to enforce rules banning political activity on the cemetery grounds.
The Republican candidate and his team have refuted the allegations, calling them a “fabricated story.”
The poll asked respondents to imagine they were part of a team fighting against Trump, with 55% saying they thought Trump would only think about himself, 54% saying he would “talk big but not actually do anything,” 49% saying he would “cinch under pressure,” and just over a third expecting Trump to receive the Medal of Valor.
The Change Research poll was conducted Aug. 23-29 among 1,703 veterans, active-duty military members, and family and household members of veterans and military members nationwide. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.
