Americans’ trust in military declining, study finds

The U.S. armed forces may be the most trusted institution in the country but a just-published study by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute says there is declining confidence in the military among the nation’s population.

The California-based Reagan Institute says the nation is experiencing a sense of pessimism, most likely connected to the fallout over the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

“This latest survey reflects a downtown in overall attitudes across nearly every category of question, most alarming with respect to trust and confidence in the military,” officials with the Reagan Institute said.

The survey, conducted Feb. 4-14, is based on interviews of more than 2,500 U.S. citizens.

The number of Americans who say they have a “great deal” of confidence in the military has fallen by 14 percentage points (70% to 56%) since 2018. The decline crosses all major demographic subgroups, including age, gender and party affiliation, by double-digit percentage points. 

When asked to comment on the survey, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said they are still working our way through it.

“Our focus here is on making sure that we continue to defend the American people against threats to their security and that we do so in a responsible, prudent, measured, deliberate and effective way,” Mr. Kirby said. “We’re always mindful of the need to earn and to deserve the respect, the trust and confidence of the American people.”

The study also showed that most Americans don’t want the country to retreat from global leadership into isolation. Nearly two-thirds of Americans of both parties support maintaining military bases around the world to deter attacks and respond quickly if needed.

More than 50% of Americans believe the U.S. is too reliant on non-allies for key national security materials. More than 70% of Americans want the U.S. to support the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, even if doing so upsets China.

“The downward trend in trust of the military is a leading indicator of a diminishing national spirit and an affront to President Reagan’s legacy,” said Roger Zakheim, director of the Reagan Institute. “He recognized that a trusted military not only strengthens deterrence, it strengths the self-confidence of the American people.”