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Veterans & National Security · Report · File No. 261111-607

Poll: Trump's net approval among active-duty troops fell 19 points since Iran war began

A Common Defense survey found more active-duty troops disapprove of Trump than approve, a swing from last summer. The group is a Democratic-aligned veterans' organization, and the sample of serving troops was small.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense, Public domain

President Donald Trump's standing among active-duty U.S. troops has weakened over the past year, a Newsweek review of military polling suggests 1. The period included the start of the Iran war. The most recent survey by Common Defense, a veteran-led advocacy group, found 49 percent of active-duty personnel disapproved of Trump and 42 percent approved 1.

That is a net approval of minus 7. In an August 2025 survey of 440 active-duty personnel, the same group found Trump at plus 12, with 53 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving 1. Newsweek calls the change a 19-point decline, but notes the polling does not show what drove it 1.

Hegseth fell further

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's numbers dropped more. Among active-duty members he went from 47 percent approval and 41 percent disapproval in 2025 to 38 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval in 2026, a 22-point swing in net approval 1.

The war began February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched major airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities 1. A ceasefire ran from April 8 to July 8, but periodic clashes have continued 1. Among active-duty members, 48 percent opposed the war and 32 percent supported it 1.

From Channel GOP60 Minutes presses Trump on missing health planDonald Trump · 30K plays · captioned, with the source named

Groups are split

Across all 731 respondents, 47 percent approved of Trump and 50 percent disapproved 1. Veterans still leaned his way, 54 percent to 44 percent, and backed the war 53 percent to 44 percent 1. Military families disapproved of Trump 69 percent to 30 percent 1.

Older veterans are his firmest supporters. Veterans over 65 gave Trump a net plus 16, while younger veterans gave him plus 3 1. Among active-duty members, 75 percent agreed that veterans and military families are being left behind, up from 65 percent in 2025 1.

Right now, nearly eight in 10 veterans and military families say they’re being left behind, and active-duty troops are telling us that politicization is pushing them toward the exit. That’s not a talking point; it’s a readiness crisis.
Jose Vasquez, executive director, Common Defense, and U.S. Army veteran1

Read the poll with care

Common Defense advocates for progressive policies and endorses Democratic candidates 1. Change Research ran the 2026 poll from September 15 to 28 1. Its sample was 47 percent Republican and 35 percent Democratic 1.

Only 156 of the respondents were currently serving, along with 431 veterans and 144 family members, according to Responsible Statecraft 2. The active-duty findings rest on a small group, and the 2025 survey used a different pollster 12.

A Rasmussen Reports poll with the group Veteran Action, taken from February 27 to March 17, found 60 percent of military likely voters approved of Trump 1. Newsweek says the two surveys are not directly comparable because their methods differ 1.

Peter Feaver, a Duke University political scientist, said military and veteran opinion tends to follow the civilian public but skews conservative 1. He noted the midterms showed the Republican brand has suffered with the public as a whole, so it would not be surprising to see that among military groups too 1.

The Iran War clearly has not gone as the administration expected it to.
Peter Feaver, professor of political science, Duke University1

What to watch

Troops and veterans have historically been a Republican-leaning voting bloc for Trump 1. Common Defense's political director, Naveed Shah, said two-thirds of military voters believe decisions affecting troops are about politics, not readiness 2. In that survey, 55 percent said deployment length and troop health, safety and welfare should be a top issue for Congress to investigate 2. Democrats now take over the House in January and will decide what to look into.

The Record

  1. Data for Progress began polling 440 active-duty members for Common Defense; Trump's net approval was plus 12 1.
  2. The U.S. and Israel launched major airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, starting the war 1.
  3. A ceasefire began; it ran to July 8, with periodic clashes since 1.
  4. Change Research began polling 731 troops, veterans and family members for Common Defense (through Sept. 28) 1.
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “How Trump's Approval Rating With Military Has Changed Since Iran War” (2026-11-11). newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-military-change-ir
  2. Responsible Statecraft, “Plurality of active-duty service members oppose Iran war” (2026-10-20). responsiblestatecraft.org/military-poll-iran-war/

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