Poll: Three-Quarters of Republicans Approve of Trump's America First Foreign Policy

Over three-quarters of Republicans approve of President Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy, according to a poll released on Monday.

The Associated Press (AP)-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll reveals a stark contrast between Republicans and Democrats’ approval of President Trump’s foreign policy.

Seventy-six percent, or over three-quarters, of Republicans, approve of President Trump’s foreign policy, while eight percent of Democrats approve of the president’s handling of foreign affairs.

Since President Trump announced his presidential campaign, he has pushed for an America First foreign policy, where America focuses less on nation-building, foreign intervention, and more on rebuilding America.

Richard Cleaveland, a 65-year-old truck driver from Ogden, Utah, said he backs Trump’s foreign policy due to his progress in establishing peaceful diplomatic relations with North Korea.

“I think he’s doing a good job with North Korea. He’s done better than anybody else has ever done. Nobody else has even got it this far with North Korea,” Cleaveland said.

Republicans also strongly approve of the president’s withdrawal of American troops from Syria. Fifty-six percent of Republicans and 26 of Democrats support Trump removing forces from Syria.

The AP-NORC poll mirrors similar findings from a Politico/Morning Consult poll which found that a near majority of Americans, or 49 percent, support withdrawal from Syria, while only 33 percent oppose the president’s withdrawal from the Syrian conflict. The survey also found that 56 percent support a drawdown from Afghanistan, while only 27 percent oppose such a measure.

Similarly, 56 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s expected removal of troops from Afghanistan, compared to 30 percent of Democrats support President Trump winding down the war in Afghanistan.

Cleaveland, who was interviewed by the AP while driving his truck through Kansas, said that he believes America should withdraw troops from the Middle East.

“I think it’s time for our troops to come home — Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria,” Cleaveland said. “I lost a lot of good friends when I was in Vietnam. I think that was a stupid war too.”

Forty-one percent of Americans said that they would approve of a pullout of troops from Afghanistan, compared to 30 percent who would disapprove of Trump’s ending of America’s longest war.

Democrats professed that America should have a more active role in global affairs and the world’s problems.

Forty-three percent of Democrats said that the United States should remain more active in global affairs, while 23 percent of Democrats who think Americans should engage less with the world’s conflicts.

Twenty-percent say that Americans should focus less on fixing other countries’ conflicts, compared to 46 percent who think America’s current role is right, and 13 percent who think that America should engage more other countries’ conflicts.

Robert Granger, a 44-year-old sales representative from Bristol, Tennessee, said, “Our military shouldn’t be the world’s police. We don’t belong in all of these other countries. We need to pull our troops home and let the other countries take care of themselves.”