# Do military service members and veterans skew Republican? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [October 3, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640 "2025-10-03T15:00:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/1 "2025-10-03T15:00:48Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Gobb’s Pit thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gobb-is-a-troll/1023604/92): **Do military service members and veterans skew Republican?** Overall, the answer appears to be yes, [according to the Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/30/military-veterans-remain-a-republican-group-backing-trump-over-harris-by-wide-margin/): > [@Pew Research Center](#): > > About six-in-ten registered voters who say they have served in the U.S. military or military reserves (61%) support former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, while 37% back Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a Pew Research Center survey [conducted in early September](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/09/09/in-tied-presidential-race-harris-and-trump-have-contrasting-strengths-weaknesses/). > > Veterans’ vote preferences are on par with [past elections](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JKd0lNwopBqXpDglgvkrlqWgbTvsNNNSaWVtj-EkLJs/edit?gid=970549130#gid=970549130). In 2020, 60% of veteran validated voters cast their ballot for Trump, while 39% backed President Joe Biden. And in 2016, veterans voted for Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a similar margin (61% to 35%) But veterans are not a monolithic group. And polls of veterans may be overrepresented by older veterans who tend to be more conservative. Younger veterans do not necessarily vote the same way, nor do current active-duty service members. [As reported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America](https://iava.org/media/iava-surveyed-members-in-run-up-to-the-general-election-here-are-the-results): > [@](#): > > …These findings are unique among national surveys of veterans, as the modal veteran in the United States overall is from the Vietnam era, and therefore more likely to be older, white, and male than the generation that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike older generations of veterans, the majority of this generation, 55%, do not affiliate with either of the two major parties and just over one in four, 27%, identify as Republican with about one in five, 19%, identifying with the Democratic Party. When ‘leaners’ are included, this shifts to 44% Republican and 32% Democratic, which differs significantly from samples including the older generation of veterans showing splits closer to 63% Republican – 35% Democratic. As for currently serving active-duty service members, the most recent polling I can find is from 2020, which showed that Trump was viewed unfavorably by half of the military service members polled (including 42% who had a “very unfavorable” view)—far more than those who had a favorable view—and that Biden had a 4% projected margin over Trump in the election. > **[Trump’s popularity slips in latest Military Times poll — and more troops say...](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/)** > > About half of troops surveyed for the poll said they have an unfavorable view of the commander in chief. Frankly, with the way that Trump treats veterans and denigrates military service, I really don’t understand how the majority of veterans can support him and the Republican Party today. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/2 "2025-10-03T15:16:34Z")
Vets use to skew Republican as for an fairly long time they were the party of the Hawks. This lasted until Trump. In the 1930s they were more isolationist, but not really any vets left from then. We’re running low on WWII and Korean War vets now. So Republicans at least appeared to be Pro-Military. Love him or hate him, Reagan was actually very pro-Military and did a very large peace-time buildup and morale improve during his time. I don’t believe Papa Bush did anything to hurt this and might have improved it even more. Why today’s Vet support Trump might have more to do with their perception of his opponents. I don’t believe Clinton or Harris did well with vets. I thought Biden was better received though. Demographics of the services: **US Army** is 56% Non-Hispanic White & 84% Male, Trump does well with this demographic. **US Navy** : it looks like the Navy is only 37% Non-Hispanic White & 78% Male. So the Navy is not really his demographic. **US Marines** : is 75.5% Non-Hispanic White & 90.6% Male, so really the Trump demographic. **US Air Force** : is 70% Non-Hispanic White & 76% Male, Trump does well with this demographic. I would strongly suspect Trump has fairly strong support with the Army & Marines, I suspected that before checking the demographics. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/3 "2025-10-03T15:18:39Z")
Probably yes, even though Trump hasn’t done a single thing to improve veteran care since he’s been in office. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/4 "2025-10-03T15:37:59Z")
Actually, he has been openly disdainful and contemptuous when it comes to the military. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/5 "2025-10-03T15:42:21Z")
I would wonder if the skew is partly simply also from where troops often originate from. IIRC, Southern states, especially Georgia, often have significantly higher enlistment rates than other states. One would expect the South to lean Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/6 "2025-10-03T15:43:24Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Demographics of the services: > **US Army** is 56% Non-Hispanic White & 84% Male, Trump does well with this demographic. > > **US Navy** : it looks like the Navy is only 37% Non-Hispanic White & 78% Male. So the Navy is not really his demographic. > > **US Marines** : is 75.5% Non-Hispanic White & 90.6% Male, so really the Trump demographic. > > **US Air Force** : is 70% Non-Hispanic White & 76% Male, Trump does well with this demographic. Lenny Bruce: “The Army is goyish. The Navy is goyish. The Marines are goyish. The **Air Force** is Jewish.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/7 "2025-10-03T15:44:04Z")
Are recruiters taking all comers equally, or are they told to aim for certain demographics? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/8 "2025-10-03T15:48:27Z")
My hypothesis is that the enlisted tend to skew Republican and the officers Democratic, based mostly on the fact that officers are more educated. ETA: I also have the hypothesis that this likely translates to those officers of higher ranks skewing more Democratic. The generals are probably more D than the colonels, who are in turn more D than the lieutenants. Again no hard numbers, just my impression. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/9 "2025-10-03T15:51:49Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So Republicans at least appeared to be Pro-Military. Love him or hate him, Reagan was actually very pro-Military and did a very large peace-time buildup and morale improve during his time. I don’t believe Papa Bush did anything to hurt this and might have improved it even more. My own personal experience as an Army “brat” for most of my childhood was that most military service members did generally tend to support the GOP. Growing up in the 1970s, Congress was controlled by the Democrats, and they always seemed to want to cut military budgets—which affected pay and benefits. Despite my father being an Army physician and stepfather being a commissioned officer as well, we grew up in near-poverty—or at least lower middle-class. Enlisted folks were in even worse shape—especially those with families—with many of them on food stamps. Then Reagan came along, promising to improve pay and benefits, and our family’s standard of living increased markedly. Reagan also did indeed conduct a large build-up of the military, including aiming for a “600-ship Navy.” This resulted in a lot of opportunities for me when I joined Navy ROTC in college. George H.W. Bush (a decorated WWII veteran) continued Reagan’s policies for a while, and did a really good job in the first Gulf War by putting together a coalition and keeping the war limited in scope by defending Kuwait and _not_ invading Iraq. But then, as the Cold War ended in 1991 (right as I graduated from college), there were sharp reductions in force strength. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/10 "2025-10-03T16:00:14Z")
This TIME article is from 13 years ago, so I have no idea if it’s still accurate. But it quotes a sergeant who says that officers actually are more conservative than the enlisted. > **[Does the Military Vote Really Lean Republican? | TIME.com](https://swampland.time.com/2012/11/05/does-the-military-vote-really-lean-republican/)** > > Various yardsticks suggest the U.S. military – or at least the officer corps, which accounts for 17% of the 1.4 million-strong active-duty force – leans Republican. But they’re not the monolithic bloc many believe. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/11 "2025-10-03T16:01:05Z")
This veteran/retiree is left of moderate. When I was active, I only recall a couple of political discussions in my 20+ years. Most of the enlisted folks had no interest in what went on in Washington and I suspect few of them even voted. Can’t speak to today’s military. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/12 "2025-10-03T16:01:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > This TIME article is from 13 years ago, so I have no idea if it’s still accurate. But it quotes a sergeant who says that officers actually are more conservative than the enlisted. 13 years ago is the Before Times. Maybe that is still true, maybe not, but numbers from 13 years ago don’t mean much. ---
**Author:** ![Gobb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Gobb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gobb)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/13 "2025-10-03T16:02:01Z")
Yes, they do. The notion that conservatives are selfish people is one of the most stupidest statements I have ever heard. Selfish people don’t work in inner cities. Selfish people don’t fight in wars, run into burning buildings. First responders tend to be Republican-leaning. It’s why they tend to commemorate 9/11 with more emotion. Now, that does not mean that all of them are Republican. But they tend to be Republican-leaning, especially White and Latino men. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/14 "2025-10-03T16:09:41Z")
Right, traditionally officers have tended to be more conservative than enlisted—likely because the enlisted ranks have tended to be more racially and ethnically diverse than the officer corps, with a higher representation of Black and Hispanic service members in the enlisted ranks and a lower representation among officers. But in recent years with respect to presidential politics, I’m also of the opinion that support for Trump has a strong inverse correlation with educational achievement, and officers tend to be more educated than enlisted. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/15 "2025-10-03T16:11:15Z")
Also, “opposing Trump” does not necessarily = “liberal.” I would imagine many officers are anti-Trump conservatives, the Reagan Conservatives, who hold conservative views on most political issues but can see that Trump is bad for the military, not good. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/16 "2025-10-03T16:12:33Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Right, traditionally officers have tended to be more conservative than enlisted—likely because the enlisted ranks have tended to be more racially and ethnically diverse than the officer corps, with a higher representation of Black and Hispanic service members in the enlisted ranks and a lower representation among officers. > > But in recent years with respect to presidential politics, I’m also of the opinion that support for Trump has a strong inverse correlation with educational achievement, and officers tend to be more educated than enlisted. This. My above statements are definitely about the present day. If the question was about which group supported JFK or Richard Nixon back in 1960, then yeah, it makes sense the enlisted would have favored Kennedy and the officers Nixon. But my guess is that has shifted a lot in the last 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/17 "2025-10-03T16:13:44Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Also, “opposing Trump” does not necessarily = “liberal.” I would imagine many officers are anti-Trump conservatives, the Reagan Conservatives, who hold conservative views on most political issues but can see that Trump is bad for the military, not good. Yes. The specific example I had in mind is Mark Milley, but I’m sure there are lots of others like him. ---
**Author:** ![Gobb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Gobb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gobb)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/18 "2025-10-03T16:25:32Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Growing up in the 1970s, Congress was controlled by the Democrats, and they always seemed to want to cut military budgets—which affected pay and benefits. Hence why veterans tend to be Republican-leaning. The 1960s was the turning point for America, not the times we live in today. Republicans are seen as bigots because of the embrace of the Southern strategy. While Democrats are seen as antimilitary because of the Vietnam protests. The image has seared with a lot of generations. Bill Clinton was reviled in the military in the 90s. For some reason, Barack and Michelle Obama was liked in the military. Surprising since a lot of white military members join the police force and stop and frisk minorities in inner cities with glee. Biden was liked in the military as well because he has a history of working with them and his son served. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/19 "2025-10-03T16:34:21Z")
> [@Gobb](#): > > The notion that conservatives are selfish people is one of the most stupidest statements I have ever heard. > > Selfish people don’t work in inner cities. Selfish people don’t fight in wars, run into burning buildings. > > First responders tend to be Republican-leaning. It’s why they tend to commemorate 9/11 with more emotion. Now, that does not mean that all of them are Republican. But they tend to be Republican-leaning, especially White and Latino men. You’re making some broad brush strokes here that don’t hold water, in my opinion. One of the reasons I stopped supporting the Republicans was the fact that starting in the ‘90s with Newt Gingrich and Grover Norquist’s [Americans for Tax Reform](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Tax_Reform) group, it became apparent to me that Republican had no real governing principles other than cutting taxes—in all cases, and especially for the rich. Times are bad, cut taxes. Times are good, cut taxes. Also no interest in paying off the national debt even when times are good. The presence of the national debt was used solely as a cudgel to reduce spending on everything but the military. Reagan demonized government, and the Republicans that followed him took this to an extreme. I don’t like fraud, waste, and abuse any more than anyone else, but at some point you start cutting programs to the bone that help people’s health, the environment, the poor and disabled, or that fund research that have historically created far more returns than they cost the taxpayer. Anybody whose mantra is to avoid paying taxes above all else can only be described as selfish—especially if they are rich and can easily afford to help make things better for those less well off. Finally, I’m a veteran and a volunteer leader with Scouts. I leaned conservative once but not today. I think modern conservatism is basically an excuse to justify selfishness. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640/20 "2025-10-03T16:35:33Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **US Marines** : is 75.5% Non-Hispanic White & 90.6% Male, so really the Trump demographic. I’m not white! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-military-service-members-and-veterans-skew-republican/1023640.md?page=2)