Poll: Almost 80% of Veterans and Service Members Feel Abandoned By Politicians and Society

11/03/2026 / By Garrison Vance

Roughly 79% of veterans and service members believe that politicians and society are leaving veterans and military families behind, according to polling conducted by Common Defense Civic Engagement (CDCE) ^[1].

The poll was conducted in September and its results were released in October. It was released with the midterm elections just weeks away ^[2]. Of the more than 700 active-duty service members, veterans and military families who responded to the survey, 48% strongly agreed with the sentiment and 15% disagreed ^[3].

Poll Methodology and Main Finding

CDCE polled 731 active-duty service members, veterans and military families about a range of issues pertaining to military life and politics, according to the organization ^[2].

The CDCE poll is one of several recent surveys examining veterans’ views. Pew Research Center has documented that roughly two-thirds of all veterans (68%) say, in the first few years after leaving the military, they frequently felt proud of their military service ^[4].

The poll’s release also comes as public trust in government remains low. A YouGov poll found that 41% of Americans believe that more than half of members of Congress are corrupt, and a strong majority associate the notion of corruption with the government as a whole, a view that has not shifted much in recent years ^[5].

Active-Duty Retention and Politicization

The poll found that 53% of active-duty service members want to separate from service sooner because they said the military is becoming more politicized, according to CDCE ^[3]. Another 45% said policy changes or uncertainty under the current Trump administration had made them consider separating sooner ^[3].

Approval Ratings and Oversight

The poll also found that 67% agree that decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain, not mission readiness, compared to 25% who disagreed.

The CDCE poll also asked respondents’ approval of specific figures within the military chain of command. Roughly 50% of respondents said they disapproved of President Donald Trump as the commander-in-chief, while only 47% said they approved of the real estate mogul.

Similar numbers were seen in the poll’s questions on the Department of War, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth receiving a 50% disapproval rating. In contrast, only 45% of respondents said they approved of the former Fox News host-turned-secretary’s leadership.

Fifty-six percent of respondents surveyed said they approved of senior uniformed military commanders like top generals and admirals, compared to only 27% disapproving. The gap suggests that respondents distinguish between the uniformed chain of command and the civilian leadership overseeing the War Department. The survey results align with other indicators of veterans’ civic engagement.

Common Defense Response and Conclusion

Jose Vasquez, executive director of CDCE, remarked on the poll’s results. “Veterans know what real leadership looks like: you take care of the people under your command and you keep politics out of the mission,” he remarked.

“Right now, nearly 8-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,” added Vasquez, himself an Army veteran. With the midterm elections close at hand, the findings add to a broader national conversation about the direction of the country.

References

79% of Veterans and Service Members Say Politicians. https://www.military.com/79-of-veterans-and-service-members-say-politicians-and-society-leaving-them-behind-poll
79% of Veterans & Active Duty Military Say Government. https://commondefense.us/news/common-defense-poll-79-of-veterans-active-duty-military-say-government-society-are-leaving-them-behind-ahead-of-the-midterms/
Poll: 79% of Veterans and Service Members Feel Abandoned by Politicians. https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/poll-79percent-of-veterans-and-service-members-feel-abandoned-by-politicians-and-society-480a10db
The views and experiences of U.S. veterans: 9 key findings | Pew. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/11/07/key-findings-about-americas-military-veterans/
The State of Public Trust in Government 2026. https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/resource-library/reports/state-of-trust-2026