A new Morning Consult poll of American veterans from the Afghanistan war found that those troops rate Biden’s handling of the war lower than each of his three predecessors.
Only 49% of Afghanistan veterans approve of Biden’s foreign policy in the country. Former President Donald Trump earned the highest marks on the question among the group, with 63% approval, followed by former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who were each at 54%.
NEW: We took a rare survey of US veterans of the war in Afghanistan to mark its end and 20 years since 9/11.
They’re more likely than the average voter to back Biden’s withdrawal + express a sense of victory, while sharing fears of what comes next.
More: https://t.co/y22YmLXhJZ pic.twitter.com/RU9aWCTojN
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) September 9, 2021
The poll, conducted from Aug. 17-Sep. 2, surveyed 243 registered voters who served in the Afghanistan war and had a margin of error of six points.
Still, the veterans held a more favorable view of Biden’s decision to withdraw, and of the war as a whole, than the general public. Fifty-eight percent of veterans said they support Biden’s decision with withdraw all troops, compared to 52% of all voters.
Fifty-three percent of veterans still supported the withdrawal even if it resulted in a complete Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and the same amount continued to support the decision even if it creates an opening for terrorists in the country. When confronted with those potential consequences, the general public’s support for the withdrawal fell to 46% and 43%, respectively.
Biden’s approval rating has tanked as the administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has wrapped up. Hundreds of Americans were left behind in the country, and a terrorist attack by ISIS-K on the Hamid Karzai International Airport claimed the lives of thirteen U.S. service members and 160 Afghans. (RELATED: ‘It’s A Nightmare Number For The White House’: Politico Reporter Breaks Down Biden’s Falling Approval Ratings)
Forty-eight percent of Afghanistan veterans described the war as very” or “somewhat” successful, compared to 27% of all voters. Sixty-seven percent of veterans said the war was “very” or “somewhat” necessary but 61% also described it as wasteful. Fifty-five percent of all voters described the war as necessary and 58% said it was wasteful. (RELATED: Blinken Worried New Taliban Government Full Of Terrorists Doesn’t Have Enough Women)
When asked what they are most concerned about with regard to the future of Afghanistan, the highest proportion of veterans answered “increased terrorist activity from Islamist militant organizations” at 60%, followed by the treatment of women in Afghanistan at 57%.