Active Duty Military Members Favor Clinton By A 3-1 Margin
Judging by campaign donations, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is vastly more popular with our military than rival Republican nominee Donald Trump. Active and retired members of military service have shown support for Clinton where it counts—with their wallets—donating three times as much to her campaign as to that of Donald Trump.
The total campaign contributions from both current and former employees for any major military branch or the US Dept. of Defense is $972,709—of this Clinton claims $771,471 or 80%. Members of the army have contributed the most to both candidates at $191,712. Again, 72% of these donations were to Hillary.
Of course those who are putting their lives on the line are going to make the most informed decision about which candidate to elect. Perhaps because of this, the military is now much further to the left. During the primary, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (D.) received the highest amount of military campaign donations, at $374,600.
“People assume the military leans Republican, but I think that has fundamentally changed in the 21st century,” retired Rear Adm. Jamie Barnett said.
“The last thing we want to see is our men and women in uniform going into a war we don’t need” due to ego, lack of judgment or some other personal flaw, Barnett added.
Retired service members are the most disgusted by Trump, with only 2 percent of their funds going to the candidate. University of Maryland Professor Emeritus David Segal agrees, pointing to Trump’s self-instigated feuds against veterans like Sen. John McCain and “Trump does not value veterans, and in fact, insults families of veterans who have died in combat,” he said, regarding Trump’s comments against the Khan family.
Although defense spending is an important aspect of both campaigns, Trump’s non-discretionary style and aptitude for rash decision-making is a major concern, as evidenced by his rant about using nuclear force on national television, “Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn’t fight back with a nuke?” He continued, “Then why are we making them? Why do we make them?”
Ultimately, Trump is simply not stable enough to lead this nation, and those on the frontlines know this. They do not want to risk their lives for a man who can be baited with a tweet. The military is resoundingly donating to democrat campaigns, because they want a president in office who is responsible, who won’t jeopardize their safety or the safety of those in the country they fight so hard for. All of these factors combine to make Clinton the clear choice for those in (and out of) uniform.
