Rasmussen: The Wealthy Are the Most Likely to Support U.S. Military Involvement in a European War

Rasmussen Reports, a public opinion polling service, recently released findings detailing the American public’s level of support for US military involvement in a potential “wider” European war. Their findings show that when asked the question, “If a wider war breaks out in Europe, should the U.S. military be involved,” higher-income respondents were more likely to answer “yes.”

A greater number of wealthier Americans supported the idea of sending American troops to Europe in that case. Those making over $200,000 annually supported the idea by 66 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, of Americans making less than $30,000, only 37 percent agreed with the pro-involvement sentiment.

With Russian troops advancing, many believe the invasion could spark a wider war in Europe.  The new national telephone and online survey found that 80 percent of US voters believe it is likely that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to a wider European war, including 34 percent who think it is very likely the war could spread. Only 13 percent say a wider European war is unlikely.

These latest findings support earlier research by Rasmussen Reports, discovering that as many as 74 percent of American adults believe the economic fallout of the Ukraine-Russia conflict is likely to hurt the American economy.

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, Americans have become increasingly concerned at the possibility of the US becoming militarily drawn into the crisis.

America’s involvement in the NATO alliance means that if the Russian offensive stretches beyond the borders of Ukraine, the US armed forces will likely be forced to engage. While Ukraine itself isn’t a NATO member, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland—countries that share a border with Ukraine—all are.

NATO’s charter specifies that an attack on a NATO member should be considered an attack on all member states. On paper, that means that if the conflict spills over to impact any of the NATO countries, the US will be compelled to engage.

President Joe Biden further increased the likelihood of that scenario by expressly pledging America’s support for NATO in his State of the Union Address.

“I’ve made it crystal clear,” said Biden on Tuesday night. “The United States and our allies will defend every inch of… NATO territory with the full force of our collective power—every single inch.” For now, Biden has said that he will not send troops to engage in the fight unless the conflict spreads beyond Ukraine’s borders.