Poll reveals stark divide in how the military views Trump

A new survey finds a big split in our military officers and the troops in general view their current commander in chief.

The survey, released this week by the Military Times, found that 44 of all troops surveyed in the poll have a favorable view of Trump, while roughly 40 percent have an unfavorable view of him.

But when broken down by troop class, the results shifted to be more negative for the president.

The survey found that 53.4 percent of officers had an unfavorable view of President Trump, while 30.6 percent view him favorably. Another 16 percent said they felt neutral.

Among enlisted men, the breakdown was 47.3 percent favorable and 36.8 percent unfavorable views of the president, with a similar number who had a neutral view.

One Navy lieutenant, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Military Times that the Trump White House seems “extremely reactionary" when asked to explain the negative rating.

Joseph Lobban, an intelligence officer who retired last year as a sergeant first class, said that the president's straightforward manner likely wins him support among the enlisted class of the military.

“Enlisted people like a man who says what he means,” Lobban said."From the way President Trump has presented himself, he has been that kind of person.”

But at least one expert told the Military Times Trump hasn't necessarily been able to change his perception in the military with his behavior.

“While he has done a number of things designed to appeal to the military, he hasn’t really moved the needle much,” Peter Feaver, a White House official and author of several books on military culture, said.