Support for the US Armed forces with in US Society has plummeted — Since President (Joe Biden) took office

According to a Monday Gallup poll, fewer Americans are confident in their military than at any time since 1997. The armed forces are presently dealing with a historic recruiting problem as public confidence in the military has decreased by 10 percent over the previous two years.

A June poll indicated that, compared to 64% the previous year, 60% of respondents had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in the military. Since it last fell below 60% in 1997, when it was at 58%, public support for the military has never been lower.

After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, support for US services increased dramatically, and when President George W. Bush attacked Iraq in 2003, the military had 82% support from the public.

Since Biden took office in 2021, Republican politicians and pundits have been among the Pentagon’s harshest critics. They have criticized the military for its vaccination requirements and embrace of “woke” politics, as demonstrated by its provision of “sex reassignment” surgery to transgender troops, teaching of “critical race theory,” and efforts to eliminate gendered language in the barracks.

Tens of billions of dollars’ worth of US weaponry fell into the hands of the Taliban as a result of Biden’s pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021, which also drew harsh criticism from all sides of the political spectrum.

With public support falling, the armed forces are struggling to fill their ranks. Leaders from the army, navy, and air force told a Congressional hearing in March that they all expect to fall short of their recruitment targets this year, after the army experienced its worst year for recruitment last year since the abolition of the draft in 1973. 

Of the 17-24-year-olds typically targeted by military recruiters, 80% are physically unfit for service due to obesity, drug use, or poor mental health, according to a Pentagon study published in March. Furthermore, only 9% of this age group are interested in joining in the first place, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told CNBC News in October.