As many commentators pointed out during the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden has been wrong about every foreign policy decision for the last 50 years. As president, his record is no better. From the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan to letting Chinese spy balloons cruise over the continental U.S. without objections, his poor decision-making continues apace. And despite early support, it appears voters are no longer willing to support the war in Ukraine “as long as it takes.”
According to a poll from CNN, 51% of U.S. adults think we have done enough to support Ukraine, and 55% say Congress should not authorize any more funding. In February 2022, 62% thought we should do more to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion. Support had dropped 14 points since the beginning of the war. Americans are still worried the war in Ukraine could lead to a larger conflict in Europe and believe it threatens U.S. national security. And 77% believe there will not be a resolution for a long time.
Leaving a forever war in Afghanistan to jump into one in Europe never made any sense. It appears Americans expected a short conflict and wanted a settlement. Only 17% support putting combat troops in the area, and only 43% think we should send more weapons. America providing intelligence-gathering assistance and military training still receives majority support in the poll.
Only 45% approve of Joe Biden’s handling of Ukraine–and that is his highest score. Only 43% approve of his handling of the U.S. relationship with Russia, and 42% think Biden is doing a good job with China. The most criticism comes from Republicans, independents, Americans over 45, and non-college grads. It should come as no surprise that the biggest support for Biden’s foreign policy blunders comes from Democrats, black Americans, and white college graduates. Among registered voters, majorities disapprove of the current state of affairs.
These trends essentially hold for the specific actions in Ukraine. Americans over 45, Republicans, independents, and non-college graduates believe that America has done enough. Surprisingly, white college graduates agree. However, only white college graduates and Democrats believe Congress should authorize more funding for Ukraine. Not a single ethnic group or age group agrees. And registered voters prefer to end funding by +10.
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Voters have finally realized that the land dispute in Eastern Europe will not end soon. Perhaps they are tired of the t-shirt-clad wannabe dictator in Ukraine demanding further taxpayer largesse. There is always a chance Americans suspect that the tail is really wagging the dog here and that the continued cash inflows are a taxpayer-funded payoff related to the Biden Crime Family’s suspicious dealings while Joe was vice president.
Or maybe Americans realize taking on continued debt to pass it along to oligarchs and graft in one of the most corrupt nations in the world makes no sense. Of the $114.9 billion sent to date, at least one watchdog group claims only 30-40% makes it to the intended destination. And there are reports that weapons are showing up in the black market in Africa. Meanwhile, America’s stores of ammunition and equipment are dwindling and global threats are increasing.
Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail should take note as well. Their voters are tired of forever wars and want attention turned to the problems at home. Smart candidates will propose a plausible path to a settlement and focus on the economic challenges pummeling voters. Stop funding unaccountable aid packages and start figuring out how to unleash American energy and agriculture.
Gas was up 30 cents last month, and Biden just blocked drilling in 1.6 million acres in Colorado. And because inflation is cumulative, food inflation is up 28.5% since 2019. So Bidenonmics bringing the current year to a mere +5.7% is very little relief. Overall, Americans are dealing with a total 19.3% price increase since the beginning of the pandemic while navigating higher interest on credit and loans. As voters stare down a looming recession, another forever war is just not on their list of priorities.
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