Americans want US to lead globally but doubt military can win major wars overseas, survey finds
A new national defense survey shows Americans are increasingly alarmed by global threats and more willing to see the United States assert leadership on the world stage — even as...
By Fox News · Fox News
A new national defense survey shows Americans are increasingly alarmed by global threats and more willing to see the United States assert leadership on the world stage — even as doubts grow about the military’s readiness to deter adversaries and win wars overseas. The 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey, released Wednesday by the Ronald Reagan Institute, finds 64% of Americans want the U.S. to be more engaged and take the lead internationally, a clear majority that cuts across political lines. But that desire for greater U.S. leadership comes alongside a darker view of the Pentagon’s capabilities: just 49% believe the U.S. military can win a war overseas, and only 45% say it can effectively deter foreign aggression. In an interview, Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Reagan Institute and one of the survey’s authors, said the public’s desire for U.S. global involvement has held steady over the years — but their expectations shift as questions become more specific. "The American people really do support an engaged American presence on the international stage," Hoff said. At the same time, she noted, the public believes the U.S. "[has] the most powerful military in the world" and that American superiority "ultimately leads to a more peaceful and secure world." TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS 'CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY' The survey’s findings underscore an ongoing tension in public opinion: Americans want the U.S. to lead, but they also see a military struggling to maintain an edge over rising authoritarian adversaries. One of the most notable long-term trends in the survey is the decline in trust in the armed forces . Only 49% of Americans now say they have "a great deal" of confidence in the military — down 21 points since 2018. SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICY Hoff said the downturn is broad-based. "It’s happened among Americans of all political stripes, both men and women, people of d…