Majorities Across Parties Trust Veterans as Elected Leaders

Seven in 10 U.S. adults say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in military veterans, according to new research from With Honor and Gallup. That confidence extends to elected leadership, with 77% saying they would trust a person with military experience a great deal or a fair amount to perform well as an elected official. Trust in leaders with military experience spans party groups, with majorities of Democrats (70%), independents (73%) and Republicans (91%) expressing this view.

The findings come as With Honor Action reports that 752 veterans across the political spectrum have run or are running for Congress in the 2026 cycle — a 47% increase from 2024 and the highest number the organization has tracked since it began monitoring veteran candidates in 2018.

Americans Report High Levels of Confidence in Military Veterans

Seven in 10 Americans say they have a great deal (41%) or quite a lot (29%) of confidence in military veterans, while 18% say they have some and 10% say they have very little confidence.

These findings are from a June 1-15 Gallup poll of U.S. adults. Confidence in military veterans is higher than confidence in the institution of the military (61%), which has historically been among the top-ranking institutions Gallup tracks.

While that’s in line with Gallup’s broader research showing that people tend to evaluate groups more favorably than the institutions they are associated with, the public today clearly holds both the military and military veterans in high regard.

These positive views are especially common among older Americans. Nearly eight in 10 adults aged 55 and older (79%) say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in veterans, compared with 68% of those aged 35 to 54 and 57% of those aged 18 to 34.

The majority of all party groups report a high level of confidence in military veterans: Republicans (84%), Democrats (61%) and independents (69%).

Veterans Widely Trusted as Leaders

A separate nationally representative web survey also conducted June 1-15, 2026, asked Americans about their perceptions of veterans as elected leaders.

More than three-quarters of Americans say they would trust a person with military experience a great deal (20%) or a fair amount (57%) to perform well as an elected leader.

Trust in elected officials with military experience rises from 58% of adults aged 18 to 29 to 92% of those 65 and older. The view also extends across party groups, with 91% of Republicans, 73% of independents and 70% of Democrats expressing a great deal or fair amount of trust.

Trust in elected officials with military experience is also somewhat higher among adults living in rural areas or small towns (85%) than among those living in suburbs (77%) or cities (71%).

Military Service Seen as Good Preparation for Elected Office

Over half of Americans say that military service makes someone much (14%) or somewhat (41%) more prepared for elected office, while just 7% say it makes someone less prepared. Thirty-seven percent say it makes no difference.

Older adults and Republicans are especially likely to view military experience as helpful preparation for elected office.

Bottom Line

Americans’ high confidence in military veterans extends beyond general regard for the group to specific perceptions of their leadership ability. Most say veterans would perform well in elected office and view military service as an advantage in preparing leaders.

While these views are widespread, they are notably less common among younger adults, raising questions about whether the exceptionally positive perceptions of veterans are as deeply rooted among younger generations as they are among older Americans.

Overall, the findings are consistent with prior With Honor and Gallup research showing that Americans associate military veterans with positive leadership qualities. In a 2025 survey, 83% said veterans possess strong leadership skills, 78% said they put the country’s interests ahead of their own personal or partisan interests, and 77% said they work well with people from different backgrounds. The same survey found that 55% of Americans said military experience would make them more likely to vote for a candidate, while just 7% said it would make them less likely.

Together, the findings indicate that military veterans are held in high regard by Americans across demographic and political groups, and that many view military service as an asset for elected leadership.

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