NEW POLL: Most Americans Want to Demilitarize the Police
Strong plurality also want to see Army to change names of bases that honor Confederates; Overwhelming majority would have opposed Trump sending troops into cities during protests
WASHINGTON, DC – A new poll commissioned by the largest progressive group of veterans in America, VoteVets, shows that on recent issues related to the military and race, Donald Trump is losing, with American voters. On issues around militarization of the police, use of the military during protests, and renaming Army bases that honor Confederate military officers, Americans stand firmly against Donald Trump.
The poll was performed by Public Policy Polling on June 10-11, and surveyed 935 registered voters. The polling memo can be found here: http://action.votevets.org/jun2020poll
The major findings of the poll were:
• When asked if they believed the 1033 program, which makes surplus military equipment available to police departments should be scaled back, expanded, or left the same Americans supported scaling it back. Fifty-one percent supported scaling back the program, with 25 percent saying it should be unchanged, and only 17 percent in favor of expanding it. President Obama began the process of scaling back the program, through an executive order, but Donald Trump reversed that order.
• On the issue of banning Confederate imagery across the military, including renaming Army bases that honor confederates, voters support such a ban, by a 47-39 percent margin. Donald Trump recently rejected the idea of renaming those bases.
• American voters would have overwhelmingly opposed Donald Trump if he made good on his threat to send active duty military personnel into cities, to handle protests. By a whopping 58-36 margin, Americans would have opposed Trump sending active duty troops into cities, against the wishes of governors or mayors.
• On issues of race, Donald Trump is far under water, with a dismal 40-58 approval rating on his handling of racial issues.
“Donald Trump isn’t just out of step with the military, but he’s far out of step with the American people on issues related to the military, that have cropped up recently” said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets. “Americans don’t want to see our police being given military-grade munitions and tanks, and they don’t want to see our military used to quell protest. And, Americans increasingly recognizing that military bases should not honor the traitors and racists who waged a war against the United States. It says a lot about Donald Trump that he is digging in, against Americans, on these issues.”