A new Gallup poll found a significant decline in Americans’ confidence in the U.S. military, reaching its lowest point in the past twenty years. When asked about their level of confidence in the military, only 60% of respondents stated they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence. This marks the lowest level of confidence since 1997, with the last time confidence dipped lower being in 1988, when 58% of respondents expressed trust in the military.

Gallup’s analysis of the data highlighted the shifting sentiments across political affiliations. While Republicans have been the most likely to express confidence in the military, their rate of confidence has declined significantly over the past three years, dropping from 91% to 68%, according to the report. Independents’ confidence has also taken a hit, decreasing by 13 points, from 68% to 55%. On the other hand, Democrats’ confidence ratings initially rose after President Joe Biden assumed office, but the gains that brought their confidence to 68% have vanished in the past year, settling at 62%.

Gallup’s Mohamed Younis, in his analysis of the findings, noted that perceptions of the U.S. military have experienced significant fluctuations over the past five decades. He pointed out that public confidence in the military surged after the Gulf War and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ushering in an era of elevated trust lasting nearly two decades. However, the recent complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from both Iraq and Afghanistan has led to a continuous decline in public confidence in the military.

The historical data from Gallup showed that during the late 1970s to the early 1980s, amid the Cold War and threats to U.S. power, including the Iran hostage crisis, between 50% and 58% of Americans expressed confidence in the military. This sentiment generally improved during Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s. After the Gulf War victory, confidence reached an all-time high of 85% in 1991 and surged again after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Throughout the following two decades, confidence in the military mostly remained above 70%. However, it dipped to 69% in 2021 and has continued to decline, coinciding with the United States’ challenging and chaotic exit from Afghanistan.

Interestingly, Gallup’s data indicated that the military has managed to retain public trust even during its decline, unlike other institutions such as the police, public schools, and organized religion, which have witnessed steep drops in confidence.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)