Trump’s support from veterans revealed in new poll

Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris among veterans a new poll finds just days after the candidates clashed over a reported incident during the ex-president’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery last month. The survey conducted by Change Research found the Republican presidential nominee leads his Democratic rival 51 percent to 41 percent among veterans.

It also found Trump leads Harris 49 percent to 44 percent among active duty, guardsmen and reservists with just over sixty days to go before the election . When it comes to the families of veterans, the gap was tighter with Trump up 47 percent to Harris’ 45 percent.

The poll released to The Hill comes amid controversy surrounding Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery to mark three years since the Abbey Gate terror attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. During the visit there was a reported physical altercation involving a Trump campaign staffer and a worker in the cemetery when the campaign took photos and video in a restricted area of the cemetery.

It set off a series of accusations between the Trump campaign and U.S. officials with the vice president eventually weighing in. The Trump campaign denies a staffer pushed a cemetery worker while the Army defended the staffer . It was a rare rebuke from the military of a former commander in chief.

The families that invited the former president to join them at the cemetery defended him, but other Gold Star Families who lost loved ones in service criticized Trump for posting photos and video of the visit to his campaign accounts. The new poll of veterans and service members was conducted from August 23 through 29, so some of the data came before the Arlington reports.

When voters who had previously voted for Trump but do not plan to come November were asked about their choice, 53 percent indicted his comments, attitudes and policies for veterans and service members were a factor.

Overall, veterans tend to favor Republicans when it comes to elections and Trump has maintained strong support, but he has been deeply criticized for some past remarks and for the Arlington controversy by veterans as well as current military including late Senator John McCain’s son 1st Lt. Jimmy McCain whose father has been a target of Trump’s.

In response to the incident at Arlington, Harris released a statement saying the cemetery is ‘not a place for politics’ and that Trump ‘disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.’ Trump and his team have shot back that the reported incident was all ‘made up.’ Participants in the poll were asked to imagine being a team member in combat with Trump, who received draft deferments during Vietnam.

In response, 55 percent said the ex-president would only look out for himself while 54 percent said he would ‘talk a big game but not do much.’Another 49 percent said he would ‘crumble under pressure.’ Just over a third predicted Trump would win the Medal of Valor.

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