Elections

Veterans Are Backing Trump Over Clinton

(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Alex Pfeiffer White House Correspondent
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Almost half of veterans and their families back Donald Trump in a head-to-head contest against Hillary Clinton. When Trump is matched up against Bernie Sanders, however, the two are nearly tied, according to a Morning Consult poll released Thursday.

Forty-seven percent of veterans voters in veterans’ households support Donald Trump, while 38 percent back Clinton, and 14 percent remain undecided. As with most general election matchup polling, Sanders does stronger against Trump than Clinton. Against the Vermont senator, 47 percent of veterans back Trump, and 43 percent support Sanders.

The poll found that veterans are upset with the direction of the nation, with 68 percent thinking the country is on the wrong track. That number parallels the general populace, as a previous Morning Consult poll found 69 percent of voters think likewise.

The Morning Consult poll also asked voters about the Department of Veterans Affairs and women serving in combat roles. Seventy-five percent of voters don’t think Congress is doing enough to solve problems with the VA’s health care system, and 65 percent think likewise about the Obama administration. Sixty-three of respondents believe that issues at the VA are due to government bureaucracy.

When it came to women serving in combat roles, there was a large gap in opinion among different age groups. Fifty-five percent of voters aged 18-24 “strongly support” women in combat roles, while only 29 percent of voters over 65 “strongly support” this initiative. Overall, 74 percent of registered voters polled support women serving in combat.

The Morning Consult poll of veteran opinion was of 1,668 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. It was was conducted from May 13 through May 24. The poll dealing with VA issues and women in combat was of 2,001 registered voters and was conducted from May 19 to May 23. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.