Exclusive Poll: Voters Don’t Want Military Inserting Itself into Social Issues

Americans strongly believe the U.S. military should focus on defending America and avoid inserting itself into politicized social issues.

An exclusive poll from America’s New Majority Project revealed that Americans believe the U.S. military has become more political in recent years.

  • The poll also showed clear preferences for candidates who want the military to avoid inserting itself into social issues.

WHY IT MATTERS – The Biden administration has been criticized for implementing a social agenda across the government, including the U.S. military, that includes controversial elements of gender ideology and critical race theory.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • 83 percent agree that the U.S. military should focus on defending America from foreign threats and avoid inserting itself into heavily politicized social issues.
    • Strong agreement increases with older age groups.
  • 59 percent say the U.S. military is “more politicized” today compared to previous years, with respondents more likely to answer “neither” than “less politicized.”  
  • 57 percent agree that recent policy changes around transgender rights and racial equity instruction make the military “more politicized,” with respondents more likely to answer “neither” than “less politicized.”
  • Agreement drops off with younger and minority voters, though still they still achieve plurality agreement.
  • A smaller plurality (39 percent) believes these new transgender and race relations policies will hurt recruitment.
    • Younger and minority voters, however, are more likely to say these policies will improve recruitment, or neither hurt nor improve recruitment.
  • By a 52-35 margin, voters prefer a Republican candidate who says the U.S. military should avoid engaging in heavily politicized social issues over a Democratic candidate who supports an “all of government” approach to achieving social change.
    • This is a 15-point swing toward the GOP candidate compared to the generic ballot.

BOTTOM LINE – Candidates and activists are on much firmer ground with a message of keeping the military focused on defending America and avoiding politics than they are focusing on the specifics of transgender ideology and critical race theory, which alienates younger and minority voters.

READ THE REPORT – Click on the image below to view the slideshow or continue to read highlights of the results of the body of the article.

DISTRACTED BY POLITICS? – The poll of 2,000 Likely Voters, conducted by McLaughlin and Associates, asked participants:

To the best of your knowledge, is the U.S. military more politicized or less politicized today compared to previous years?

  • 30 percent – Much More Politicized
  • 28 percent – Somewhat More Politicized
  • 22 percent – Neither More nor Less Politicized
  • 6 percent – Somewhat Less Politicized
  • 3 percent – Much Less Politicized
  • 12 percent – Don’t Know

Do you agree or disagree that the U.S. military should focus on defending America from foreign threats, and avoid inserting itself into heavily politicized social issues? 

  • 38 percent – Much More Politicized
  • 19 percent – Somewhat More Politicized
  • 24 percent- Neither More nor Less Politicized
  • 5 percent – Somewhat Less Politicized
  • 4 percent – Much Less Politicized
  • 10 percent – Don’t Know

The U.S. military has recently begun instructing members of the Armed Forces on issues of “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” including the concepts of “whiteness,” “white privilege,” and “white rage.”

Is this an example of the U.S. military becoming more politicized or less politicized?

  • 36 percent – Much More Politicized
  • 21 percent – Somewhat More Politicized
  • 23 percent – Neither More nor Less Politicized
  • 5 percent – Somewhat Less Politicized
  • 5 percent – Much Less Politicized
  • 10 percent – Don’t Know

Do you believe these new U.S. military transgender and race relations policies will improve recruitment or hurt recruitment for the U.S. Armed Forces?

  • 25 percent – Improve Recruitment
  • 39 percent – Hurt Recruitment
  • 25 percent – Neither Improve nor Hurt Recruitment
  • 12 percent – Not Sure/Don’t Know

However, younger and minority voters are more likely to say these changes will improve or neither improve or hurt recruitment. Groups with a plurality saying it would improve recruitment included:

  • Asians
  • Hispanics
  • Gen Z
  • Millennials

IMPACT ON 2024 – The survey also asked participants to choose between two potential congressional candidates.

Which candidate for Congress would you be more likely to support?

  1. A Republican candidate, who believes the U.S. military should focus on defending America from foreign threats and steer clear of politicized social issues.
  2. A Democratic candidate, who believes in an “all of government” approach to achieving social change, including the U.S. military.
  3. Don’t Know
  • 52 percent – Republican Candidate
  • 35 percent – Democratic Candidate

This is a 15-point swing from the generic ballot, with the largest movement coming from Independents and Swing Voters.