The military doesn't love Trump back. This is why.
By Carrie A. Lee November 10 at 5:00 AM
Veterans’ Day is a good time to examine how U.S. political leaders relate to the military. This year, observers have suggested that President Trump uses Americans’ high levels of respect for the military as a kind of protective political shield. By placing retired and active-duty generals in prominent positions within the administration, they argue, the president has tried to deflect criticism over grand military strategy and particular military operations, such as that in Niger.
He has tried to shift political discussion about NFL players’ protests over police shootings by saying that by kneeling during the national anthem, they were disrespecting veterans. And when a reporter noted that Trump’s chief of staff, John F. Kelly, had made factual misstatements, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was “highly inappropriate” to get into a debate with “a four-star Marine general.” That last statement unleashed outrage from observers who follow civil-military relations.
But does the military look favorably on Trump?
In a word, no. In a recent poll, the Military Times revealed that although active-duty service members support Trump slightly more than civilians do — though not by much — more than half the officer corps sees him unfavorably. That may seem surprising. But a close look at the data reveals that military attitudes toward the president closely mirror civilians’ demographic patterns of support.
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