Reagan Survey: Trust in Military Declines While Backing for NATO, Ukraine Reaches Record Highs

According to the 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey, released on December 4, Americans' trust in the U.S. military has dropped to its lowest level since 2018. At the same time, support for a strong global footprint, NATO commitments, and Ukraine's defense has grown.

About 2,500 adults were surveyed by phone and online every year, and the results indicated that only 49% of Americans have "a great deal of confidence" in the military. This number is down 21% since the study started. Researchers said the flat trend from one year to the next hides significant differences between parties. Policy head at the Ronald Reagan Institute, Rachel Hoff, said, "That upward trend is really something that we are seeing across the board." However, she also noted that there are bigger gaps below the surface.

64% of those who answered the poll want the US to play a bigger part in world affairs, and 87% say it is essential to keep the world's strongest military. 71% more think that world peace is more likely to happen when the U.S. has the most potent force in the world. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans believe it, while only fifty-seven percent of Democrats do. However, approval rose across most groups.

Different missions made people more or less confident in the military's skills. About 54% were very sure that the army could keep the country safe, but only 49% thought it could win a war abroad, and 45% thought it could stop other countries from attacking. Most of the people who answered preferred air power (68%), followed by naval forces, space weapons, and overall strength.

Many problems caused partisan disagreement, such as the Trump administration's decision to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War. While 59% of respondents did not agree with the change, 58% of Republicans did, compared with only 17% of Democrats. People also had very different views on sending active-duty troops or federalized National Guard units to help with the border or social unrest.

At 68%, support for NATO was at its best level ever recorded in a poll. This was due in large part to rises among Republicans after the 2025 NATO Summit. "It shows how strong NATO is and how much support it has from both parties," said Roger Zakheim, head of the Reagan Institute. Seventy-six percent of Americans said the U.S. If a strike occurs against a NATO ally, the U.S. should use force.

Ukraine continues to get strong support from both parties. Most people on both sides of the argument said they want Ukraine to win the war (62%). Support grew for sending weapons and long-range missiles and enabling European allies to transfer American-made systems to Kyiv. “Americans…perceive Russia as an adversary; they perceive Ukraine as an ally,” Hoff said.

Generational divides persist, with high military confidence ranging from 36% among adults under 30 to 60% among those 65 and older.

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