Americans have increased confidence in the military after years of decline and are more likely to support increased military spending as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, according to the latest Reagan Defense Survey results released Thursday. are.
The survey, conducted just days after the 2024 election, revealed that Americans' views of the military are recovering, with 51% expressing “a great deal of confidence” in the service, an increase of 5% from last year. % increase.
However, this number is a far cry from the public trust in the military reported during the Trump administration in 2018, when 70% of respondents in a national defense survey said they had high confidence in the military.
of annual survey The survey, which is the standard for estimating Americans' thoughts and impressions of the U.S. military, was created by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Research Institute, the group said. It is a nonprofit organization created to “advance his legacy and principles.”
The survey also found that a “supermajority” of Americans actively want the government to invest more in the military, even though they overestimate the amount of the federal budget that goes to the Department of Defense. It also became clear that
“79% of respondents want to see more U.S. military spending, including nearly nine in 10 (89%) Trump supporters,” the survey found.
This support remained even with the 32% of survey respondents who believed the U.S. already spends one-quarter to one-half of the federal budget on national defense.
Additionally, 16% incorrectly believed that the United States spends more than half of its budget on the military.
In fact, the United States spends only about 13% of its budget on national defense.
According to the survey, “public perceptions of the size of the defense budget vary.'' “Support for increased spending is particularly noteworthy given that current federal military spending is overestimated.”
Interest in investing in the military may be related to concerns about global conflict, with only a slight majority (52%) reporting that they think the United States could win a war with China. However, about 64% reported that they thought the United States could defeat Russia.
“A majority of respondents (61%) believe the U.S. military should be large enough to win two simultaneous wars at the same time,” the survey found.
Additionally, a majority of Americans still support sending military aid to Ukraine to rightfully end Communist Russia's invasion of democratic countries.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they think the United States should send arms to Ukraine, but that number has “slightly decreased compared to recent years,” the survey found.
Additionally, many Americans firmly support Israel in its war against Hamas, with 61% of survey respondents saying they want the release of Americans held hostage by Hamas to be a top priority in the Middle East. I answered yes.
The survey found that “a majority (54%) also supports the United States providing military aid to Israel, including 67% of Trump supporters and 46% of Harris supporters.” It turned out.
“Each year, this study continues to demonstrate our unwavering support for 'peace through strength,'” Institute Director Roger Zakheim said in a statement, citing the classic Reagan defense strategy often cited by President Trump. It shows,” he said.
“Trust and confidence in the military is rebounding after hitting multi-year lows, and Americans support increased defense spending to build a military capable of deterring and defeating adversaries in multiple theaters.” I am doing it.”
