Poll: Majority of military officers view Trump unfavorably

A majority of U.S. military officers have an unfavorable view of President Trump, according to a survey released this week by the Military Times.

According to the poll, 53 percent of respondents said they hold an unfavorable opinion of the commander in chief, while about 31 percent said they view him favorably. Sixteen percent said they were neutral on the matter.

The findings come amid the controversy surrounding Trump’s disputed call to the widow of a U.S. Army soldier killed in Niger earlier this month.

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Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), who was with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson at the time of the call, alleged that Trump was insensitive in the conversation. The White House has denied that claim and has accused the congresswoman of politicizing the soldier’s death.

Johnson was one of four soldiers killed in an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4 while U.S. troops accompanied Nigerien soldiers on a routine patrol. The Pentagon has since launched an investigation into the attack and the circumstances surrounding it — particularly how Johnson became separated from the rest of the unit.

According to the Military Times poll, Trump’s favorability is higher among enlisted military personnel, at about 47 percent. Just under 37 percent of those polled view him unfavorably.

Trump sees his highest enlisted favorability ratings in the Marine Corps — 58.9 percent — and the Army — 46.3 percent. The Air Force and the Navy have the highest rate of unfavorable opinions about the president, at 38.1 percent and 39.5 percent respectively.

Trump has vowed to increase military spending and has also moved to put more decision-making authority in the hands of military leaders. Both those initiatives have been viewed positively among military personnel, according to the Military Times.

But at the same time, Trump has made several decisions viewed as controversial. His decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, for example, is seen by some critics as ambiguous and broad. And his move to roll back an Obama-era policy allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military has been met with criticism, as well.

The Military Times survey of 1,100 active-duty troops was conducted in September and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.