Associated Press
President Donald Trump stands with World War II veterans during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. A majority of military veterans approve of President Donald Trump's performance as commander-in-chief, reflecting continued support from a group that has strongly backed him throughout his presidency. Still, many veterans believe he doesn't listen enough to military leaders and distrusts his decisions on the use of force. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
- Roughly four in 10 veterans do not trust President Donald Trump to make wise decisions regarding the use of military force or nuclear weapons, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
- This includes 26% of veterans who said they "do not trust the president at all" when it comes to the use of military force.
- Overall, Trump has strong support among veterans, with 57% offering their approval of how he's handled his duties as commander-in-chief.
- About one-in-three veterans (33%) said they "disapprove very strongly" of how Trump has managed his job as commander-in-chief.
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Veterans have a more favorable view of President Donald Trump than the general public, but many of them don't trust Trump to make wise decisions when it comes to war and nuclear weapons, according to Pew Research Center.
A new Pew survey of veterans found roughly four in 10 do not trust Trump to make the right decisions regarding the use of military force or nuclear weapons, including 26% who said they "do not trust the president at all" when it comes to the use of military force.
To be sure, most veterans (about 58%) said they trust Trump on these matters, in contrast to the general public, a majority of whom said they "don't trust him much or at all to make these types of decisions."
The release of this survey comes amid a tense standoff with Iran linked to the 2015 nuclear deal as well as ongoing discussions with North Korea over its nuclear program. The situation with Iran has sparked fears of war, particularly after the Iranians shot down a US Navy drone.
Trump nearly responded to the drone incident with a military strike, but pulled back at the last minute.
Read more: Here's what's in the landmark nuclear deal that Iran just violated amid tensions with Trump
Despite wariness over Trump's ability to handle military conflicts and nukes among a large minority of former US service members, the president enjoys strong support with veterans overall.
The Pew Research survey found 57% of veterans approve of the way Trump is handling his duties as commander-in-chief, and approximately half (48%) said his administration's policies have made the military stronger. About one-in-three veterans, however, said they "disapprove very strongly" of how Trump has managed his job as commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, about 57% of the general public do not approve of Trump as commander-in-chief, highlighting a vast disconnect between the military community and the rest of America.