Active duty military support of Trump - by the numbers

[SoLongAtlas]

The first substantive poll of active duty SMs has been done by Military Times https://www.navytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/10/23/military-times-poll-what-you-really-think-about-trump/

It features a large divide between officer and enlisted as well as an interesting split among enlisted and the different service branches, Army and Marine Corps enlisted generally supporting Trump overall.



I have personally seen the enthusiasm for and disdain for Trump on the Navy side, but most of the Marines that were embarked last year loved him - this poll reflects that. The snippet below from the article is highly accurate for the USMC enlisted portion:

"Retired Marine Maj. Ross Schellhaas said he thinks Trump’s style may better match with stereotypes of young Marine Corps members than the other services.

“I think those young people come from the more conservative regions of our nation and tend to vote that way,” said Schellhaas, an Iraq and Afghanistan vet."

Thoughts on this poll of AD SMs?

[GeorgiaModerate]

Very interesting.  What do you think is the major cause of the differences between the services?  Education levels?

[SoLongAtlas]

Very interesting.  What do you think is the major cause of the differences between the services?  Education levels?

Major part to play, yes, but also the focus of the services. Army and USMC recruit largely from the South and are more downrange, more grunt types but even the support MOSs are largely conservative. Navy and AF are more moderate. Enlisted side vs. officer side has the education component but it's not a strict enlisted conservative vs. liberal officer stereotype. Most of the officer corps is conservative in every branch but are more keen to the aspects of international relations, policy, etc., i.e., areas where Trump is upsetting the apple cart.

This poll really should have included a subset of each branches NCOs and SNCOs. That would have taken a better snapshot of what the actual "pulse" of the enlisted side is from a leadership perspective.

Edit: Here is a scale of the branches by general ideology from most liberal to most conservative, so you get a better sense (this is not-scientific but overall an observation from many members):

Air Force
Coast Guard
Navy
Army
Marines

[dead0man]

I wonder how much race plays into this.  Some I'd imagine, but probably more correlation than causation.

I would've thought the AF and Navy would have been even less supportive of the Orange in Chief.

[KingSweden]

The unfavorables are actually higher than I thought, especially AF, which surprised me.

My BIL is ex-AF and though he “claims” he didn’t vote last year he has a pretty Trumpy gait on social media, especially re: the anthem protests

[Tintrlvr]

Very interesting.  What do you think is the major cause of the differences between the services?  Education levels?

Major part to play, yes, but also the focus of the services. Army and USMC recruit largely from the South and are more downrange, more grunt types but even the support MOSs are largely conservative. Navy and AF are more moderate. Enlisted side vs. officer side has the education component but it's not a strict enlisted conservative vs. liberal officer stereotype. Most of the officer corps is conservative in every branch but are more keen to the aspects of international relations, policy, etc., i.e., areas where Trump is upsetting the apple cart.

This poll really should have included a subset of each branches NCOs and SNCOs. That would have taken a better snapshot of what the actual "pulse" of the enlisted side is from a leadership perspective.

Edit: Here is a scale of the branches by general ideology from most liberal to most conservative, so you get a better sense (this is not-scientific but overall an observation from many members):

Air Force
Coast Guard
Navy
Army
Marines

I don't think this is right. The Air Force has a reputation for being a hub of evangelical Christianity, in particular. Which isn't going to lend itself to support of Trump necessarily, but it is typically regarded as the most conservative branch of the military as a general matter. The Air Force is also the whitest of the four services, and the Army the most diverse, which has traditionally been the main dividing line. Typically would be:

(less conservative) Navy - Army - (big gap) - Marine Corps - Air Force (most conservative) (can't speak to the Coast Guard)

The education divide over Trump in particular may be overriding traditional orientations, though. The Air Force may be behaving like Mormons - disapprove of Trump but will ultimately vote for him.

[SoLongAtlas]

Very interesting.  What do you think is the major cause of the differences between the services?  Education levels?

Major part to play, yes, but also the focus of the services. Army and USMC recruit largely from the South and are more downrange, more grunt types but even the support MOSs are largely conservative. Navy and AF are more moderate. Enlisted side vs. officer side has the education component but it's not a strict enlisted conservative vs. liberal officer stereotype. Most of the officer corps is conservative in every branch but are more keen to the aspects of international relations, policy, etc., i.e., areas where Trump is upsetting the apple cart.

This poll really should have included a subset of each branches NCOs and SNCOs. That would have taken a better snapshot of what the actual "pulse" of the enlisted side is from a leadership perspective.

Edit: Here is a scale of the branches by general ideology from most liberal to most conservative, so you get a better sense (this is not-scientific but overall an observation from many members):

Air Force
Coast Guard
Navy
Army
Marines

I don't think this is right. The Air Force has a reputation for being a hub of evangelical Christianity, in particular. Which isn't going to lend itself to support of Trump necessarily, but it is typically regarded as the most conservative branch of the military as a general matter. The Air Force is also the whitest of the four services, and the Army the most diverse, which has traditionally been the main dividing line. Typically would be:

(less conservative) Navy - Army - Marine Corps - Air Force (most conservative) (can't speak to the Coast Guard)

The education divide over Trump in particular may be overriding traditional orientations, though.

Operationally the AF is the most liberal, more direct O and E tandem work (goes back to the old-school bomber days and continues), no warrants, most billets as office jobs, the best bases, most other services give them the nickname "Golf Force." That being said, there is indeed a good portion of white evangelicals in each branch but the general sense, at least from folks I worked with in my dept was that the AF was the most liberal.

Adam's answer on https://www.quora.com/Why-are-U-S-Air-Force-members-generally-more-liberal-than-other-branches-of-the-U-S-military sums it up very well imo.

[Nyvin]

When I was in the military most people referred to the Air Force as the "Chair Force"

[SoLongAtlas]

When I was in the military most people referred to the Air Force as the "Chair Force"

Lol yeah that one too, reminds me of this oldie but goodie https://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/20020406.asp

[Ye We Can]

Very interesting.  What do you think is the major cause of the differences between the services?  Education levels?

Major part to play, yes, but also the focus of the services. Army and USMC recruit largely from the South and are more downrange, more grunt types but even the support MOSs are largely conservative. Navy and AF are more moderate. Enlisted side vs. officer side has the education component but it's not a strict enlisted conservative vs. liberal officer stereotype. Most of the officer corps is conservative in every branch but are more keen to the aspects of international relations, policy, etc., i.e., areas where Trump is upsetting the apple cart.

This poll really should have included a subset of each branches NCOs and SNCOs. That would have taken a better snapshot of what the actual "pulse" of the enlisted side is from a leadership perspective.

Edit: Here is a scale of the branches by general ideology from most liberal to most conservative, so you get a better sense (this is not-scientific but overall an observation from many members):

Air Force
Coast Guard
Navy
Army
Marines

I don't think this is right. The Air Force has a reputation for being a hub of evangelical Christianity, in particular. Which isn't going to lend itself to support of Trump necessarily, but it is typically regarded as the most conservative branch of the military as a general matter. The Air Force is also the whitest of the four services, and the Army the most diverse, which has traditionally been the main dividing line. Typically would be:

(less conservative) Navy - Army - Marine Corps - Air Force (most conservative) (can't speak to the Coast Guard)

The education divide over Trump in particular may be overriding traditional orientations, though.

Operationally the AF is the most liberal, more direct O and E tandem work (goes back to the old-school bomber days and continues), no warrants, most billets as office jobs, the best bases, most other services give them the nickname "Golf Force." That being said, there is indeed a good portion of white evangelicals in each branch but the general sense, at least from folks I worked with in my dept was that the AF was the most liberal.

Adam's answer on https://www.quora.com/Why-are-U-S-Air-Force-members-generally-more-liberal-than-other-branches-of-the-U-S-military sums it up very well imo.

Doesn't the Air Force also have an unusually high number of Pagans as well?

[60+ GOP Seats After 2018 GUARANTEED]

It may have to do with Trump's attitude.

He is a very detestable personality, and not Commander-in-Chief like. Not to mention controversies regarding veterans - the fake veteran donation thing he did during Iowa, the "I like people who werent captured," etc. etc.

[Inmate Trump]

It may have to do with Trump's attitude.

He is a very detestable personality, and not Commander-in-Chief like. Not to mention controversies regarding veterans - the fake veteran donation thing he did during Iowa, the "I like people who werent captured," etc. etc.

Yet you still support him.

[Strudelcutie4427]

It may have to do with Trump's attitude.

He is a very detestable personality, and not Commander-in-Chief like. Not to mention controversies regarding veterans - the fake veteran donation thing he did during Iowa, the "I like people who werent captured," etc. etc.

Yet you still support him.

Well when the other option was a criminal or a communist

[Adam Griffin]

This is completely on its head compared to previous surveys of the military; usually, the enlisteds are more pro-Dem/anti-GOP than the officers. I'd say this is connected to both education level and the fact that the officers aren't willing to take criticism of the military and its structure anywhere nearly as well as rank-and-file.

[BoAtlantis]

This is completely on its head compared to previous surveys of the military; usually, the enlisteds are more pro-Dem/anti-GOP than the officers. I'd say this is connected to both education level and the fact that the officers aren't willing to take criticism of the military and its structure anywhere nearly as well as rank-and-file.

Can't believe I was the only one who was thinking this.

I never would have thought officers would disapprove of his performance more. It would make sense since he has offended McCain and Gold Star families. Based on circumstantial evidences, it appears that wealthier, educated voters have less of unconditional blind support.