We are seeing an increasing appetite for American autonomy particularly on the right, with Trump voters calling for withdrawal from the U.N., NATO and other globalist organizations.
There is a growing coalition on the right that demands a return to national autonomy and America First foreign policy across the board. While these views are more concentrated on the right, it is the broader coalition of Trump voters and conservatives more so than Republicans who are pushing for American autonomy.
Conservatives and Trump voters are much more likely than liberals and Biden voters to want the United States to focus on domestic needs, cease foreign meddling and foreign aid, withdraw from dubious international agreements like the U.N. and the Paris Climate Accord, and retain autonomy as a nation.
This analysis comes on the heels of an article Market Research Foundation published last week, showing conservatives, Trump voters, and Trump-friendly groups are taking a hard line against neocons and globalists.
MRF’s analysis of YouGov data found 64% of Biden voters say the U.S. has an obligation to provide “military assistance” to other nations, versus just 44% of Trump voters. Forty-four percent of conservatives say the U.S. has an obligation to other nations militarily, versus 61% of liberals, and 46% of Republicans say the U.S. has an obligation military to other nations compared to 62% of Democrats.
What is more, Trump voters and groups key to Trump’s base are significantly more likely to say the U.S. does not owe other countries money. By almost a two to one margin, Trump voters say the U.S. does not owe aid to other nations (57% to 28%). Meanwhile, Biden voters say the U.S. owes other nations money 71% to 18%.
With regard to the United Nations, 57% of Americans believe the U.S. should remain in the organization compared to 20% who want to withdraw and 23% who aren’t sure. Trump voters want to withdraw from the U.N. by a margin of 44% to 31%, while a quarter are unsure.
Only 3% of Biden voters want to withdraw from the U.N. By a margin of 42% to 35% conservatives want to withdraw, and by a slim margin Republicans want the U.S. to remain in the United Nations, 38% to 36%. Trump voters and conservatives are holding the line against neoconservative foreign policy, while Republicans are at a tipping point.
Trump voters and conservatives are holding the line against neoconservative foreign policy, while Republicans are at a tipping point.
However, keeping in mind the influence and command Trump holds over the GOP in a plethora of polls, neocons will be swimming upstream if they take a neoconservative approach to foreign policy.
Regarding NATO, a majority of Americans believe the United States should remain a member, but Trump voters and conservatives are the most likely to say the United States should withdraw. Just 14% of Americans want to withdraw from NATO, while 60% want to stay and 26% are unsure. However, almost a quarter of Trump voters (24%) want to withdraw form NATO, while 26% are not sure and 50% want to remain.
Further, 23% of Republicans and 23% of Conservatives want the U.S. to withdraw from NATO compared to 7% of Democrats and 7% of liberals.
A majority of Americans believe the United States should remain in NATO, but Trump voters and Conservatives are the most likely to say the United States should withdraw.
The Paris Climate Accord, an international agreement that punishes the United States while subsidizing nations like India and China under the guise of environmental protection, is one of the most divisive issues. Although 53% of Americans are convinced the Paris Accord is a good idea, almost 30% want to withdraw, and 17% are not sure.
Among Trump voters and conservatives there is overwhelming consensus to withdraw from the Paris Accord, with 70% of Trump voters, 65% of conservatives, and 59% of Republicans saying the U.S. should withdraw. However, 31% of Independents and 23% of Moderates agree the U.S. should withdraw. Forty-one percent of white men without a college degree and 40% with a college degree want to withdraw form the agreement.
When asked whether they believe the U.S. should compromise with other nations or work alone to address international issues, just 13% of Americans overall say the U.S. should work alone. However, the preference for U.S. autonomy in decision-making is significantly higher among conservatives and Trump-friendly groups.
A full 27% of conservatives believe the United States should make decisions alone, as do 25% of Trump voters and 21% of Republicans compared to just 4% of Biden voters and 6% of Democrats.
It is increasingly conservatives and other key Trump constituencies who are embracing a more autonomous role for the U.S. Men overall are more likely to support this view. However, white men with a college degree were more likely than those without to say the U.S. should work alone, by a margin of 20% to 18%. By region, Midwesterners are the most likely to say the U.S. should work alone at 16%.
It is increasingly conservatives and other key Trump constituencies who are embracing a more autonomous role for the U.S.
This deeper analysis shows that on virtually every international issue Trump voters, Conservatives, and Trump-friendly groups are significantly more likely than Biden voters to take a non-interventionalist approach.
Even on the question of NATO withdrawal, it is increasingly conservatives and Trump voters who want to see the United States withdraw. There is no longer a question of whether it is liberals or conservatives who stand against foreign meddling and for American autonomy. The modern left, spear-headed by Joe Biden’s collection of neocons and globalist advisors, is the party of foreign occupation and loss of American autonomy.
