Trump Approval at 60% Among Military Voters

Most current and former members of the U.S. military support President Donald Trump, and overwhelmingly favor the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act legislation currently pending in Congress.

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and Veteran Action finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Military Voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president, including 38% who Strongly Approve. Forty percent (40%) disapprove, including 30% who Strongly Disapprove of Trump’s job performance. Trump’s job approval among military voters is 15 points higher than among all Likely Voters. Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

Ninety-four percent (94%) of military voters support the Veterans’ Bill of Rights Act, including 74% who Strongly Support the legisislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to be more explicit in informing veterans of the rights they already have for healthcare, benefits and services. 

If the elections for Congress were held today, 57% of Likely U.S. Military Voters would vote for the Republican candidate, while 35% would vote for the Democrat and eight percent (8%) are undecided or would vote third-party. The four-point gap between Trump’s 61% approval and 57% support for GOP candidates could make a difference in the fall midterm elections, according to Mark Lucas, founder and president of Veteran Action.

“Veterans were critical to Republican victories in 2024, but that loyalty cannot be taken for granted,” Lucas said of the survey findings. “The data is clear: veterans expect Congress to deliver on healthcare access, mental health, and election integrity. Candidates who lead on these issues will earn veteran support. Those who don’t risk losing it — and with it, their seats.”

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The survey of 1,516 U.S. Military Likely Voters was conducted on February 27-March 17, 2026 by Rasmussen Reports and Veteran Action. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Fifteen percent (15%) of the Likely U.S. Military Voters surveyed are currently serving in the armed forces, while 85% previously served. Thirty-five percent (35%) served fewer than four years (including reserve duty), 33% served between four and eight years. Thirty percent (30%) of veterans served more than eight years, including 10% who served 20 years or more.

The survey found veterans are concerned about election integrity issues, including the security of ballots cast by troops deployed overseas. Eighty-two percent (82%) are concerned that only 23% of active-duty service members returned absentee ballots in the 2024 election, while 78% are concerned that more than 70% of overseas ballots are cast by civilians rather than military personnel, and that the share of military votes is shrinking. Seventy-eight percent (78%) are also concerned that overseas civilians may be voting remotely in states where they never resided.
Among other findings of the Rasmussen Reports/Veteran Action survey of military voters:

– Fifty-three percent (53%) rate the way that the Trump administration is handling issues related to veterans, while 28% give the administration a poor rating on veterans’ issues.

– Fifty-six percent (56%) approve of the job Pete Hegseth is doing as Secretary of War, including 36% who Strongly Approve. Thirty-seven percent (37%) disapprove of Hegseth’s job performance, including 25% who Strongly Disapprove.

– Fifty-seven percent (57%) approve of the job Doug Collins is doing as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, including 27% who Strongly Approve. Twenty-nine percent (29%) disapprove, including 14% who Strongly Disapprove, and another 14% are not sure.

– Fifty-seven percent (57%) consider the overall quality of the benefits and services military veterans receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs to be good or excellent. Just 13% give the VA a poor rating.

– There is strong support among military voters for the right to seek care in the community when the VA cannot deliver. Ninety percent (90%) support giving veterans the choice to use VA healthcare benefits at providers outside the VA system. Support for community healthcare when the VA cannot provide timely appointments is 88%.

– Although most military voters support the current combat operations in Iran, economic issues are their top election priority. Sixty-one percent (61%) support meaningful military action against Iran, including 39% who Strongly Support it. Thirty-three percent (33%) are opposed, including 18% who Strongly Oppose military action against Iran.

Veteran Action is a national organization dedicated to advancing policy priorities that serve America’s veterans and military families. Through polling, grassroots advocacy, and candidate endorsements, Veteran Action works to ensure veteran issues remain at the center of the national agenda.

More voters continue to believe the Democratic Party cares about people like them than think the same about the GOP.

Voters have a more favorable view of Secretary of State Marco Rubio now than they did a year ago. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.