Americans push for US global leadership but question military ability to win war overseas: Survey

WASHINGTON, DC: The new national defence survey reveals that Americans are increasingly concerned about global threats and are therefore willing to let the United States take the lead on the world stage.

This happens even when there are increasing doubts about the military's readiness to deter adversaries and win wars overseas.

The 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey, released on Wednesday by the Ronald Reagan Institute, revealed that 64% of Americans want the US to be more engaged and lead the world community.

Just 49% believe US military can win a war overseas

But​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ when people were questioned regarding the armed forces' success in foreign countries, merely 49% answered that they think the US military could win a war abroad, and only 45% expressed confidence that it could efficiently deter foreign aggression.

During the talk, Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Reagan Institute and one of the authors of the survey, mentioned that the American people's wish for the US to be involved globally has been consistent over time; however, their expectations change when they are asked more detailed ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌questions.

"The American people really do support an engaged American presence on the international stage," Hoff said. At the same time, she noted, the public believes the U.S. "[has] the most powerful military in the world" and that American superiority "ultimately leads to a more peaceful and secure world."

Long-term trends in the survey show decline in trust in armed forces

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ fall in public trust in the military is among the most significant long-term changes that can be observed in the survey. In a stark contrast with 2018, less than half of the people in the US (49%) still think the army ‘deserves a lot of trust.’ This represents a drop of 21 points over the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌period.

"It’s happened among Americans of all political stripes, both men and women, and people of different age demographics," she said. Though the numbers appear to have stabilized in the last two years, the shift marks one of the most significant drops in confidence for any major public institution.

Another major finding was support for sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine has risen to 64%, up nine points since last year. Roughly two-thirds of Americans also say they want Ukraine to win the war. And 45% support backing Kyiv until it regains all Russian-occupied territory.

"With Donald Trump back in the White House with his administration leading on peace talks between the Russians and the Ukrainians, we’re seeing not just a desire for America to be in a peace-building role but, in fact, for Ukraine to emerge as victorious," she said.

The survey also shows a dramatic surge in public backing for defending Taiwan. Sixty percent of Americans now say they would support committing US forces to Taiwan’s defense if China invaded, up from 48% last year.