Trump is losing the support of U.S. soldiers

Or at least of the professional class within the U.S. military.

According to a report of a poll by Military Times done in cooperation with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Trump's support is waning among the troops, notably older service members.

About 40 percent of troops surveyed identified as Republican or Libertarian, 16 percent Democrats, and 44 percent independent or another party. 

“It’s fair to say that Trump is not as popular as Republican nominees have been in the past among this group,” said Peter Feaver, a White House adviser to former President George W. Bush who now works as a political science professor at Duke University. “The bottom line is that in 2020, Trump can’t be claiming to have overwhelming support in the military.” 

... Feaver said the poll “is a good sample of the career-oriented military members’ views, which may be different from the junior enlisted view of things.”  

... The splits between officer and enlisted views within the poll are notable. More than 59 percent of officers said they have a poor view of the president, with more than half saying they strongly disapprove. 

Among enlisted respondents, 47 percent said they have an unfavorable view, and nearly 39 percent a favorable view. Enlisted views of Trump’s performance in office have consistently been more favorable than those of officers in the poll over the last four years.

 

The polling found discontent with Trump's failure to object to Russia offering to pay bounties for dead U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan. And 74 percent didn't want to be used to put down unrest in U.S. cities. That's not a role they understand as their duty or profession. On common domestic poltical issues, only 21 percent were worried about immigration, but 48 percent saw white nationalists as a concern.

Apparently older service people aren't that different from the rest of us. They don't like chaos, corruption, and incompetence in a leader either.

H/t the essential Digby.