Most Americans believe Washington too generous to foreign partners – poll

24 Apr, 2024 23:20 / Updated 8 months ago
Some 57% believe the US is spending “too much” on foreign aid, a new survey has shown

Around a half of US voters believe their country is wasting taxpayer dollars on supporting foreign partners such as Israel and Ukraine, a Rasmussen Reports poll has suggested.

Some 57% of respondents said the US government is spending “too much” on foreign aid, according to a survey of 1,126 likely voters conducted on April 16-18.

President Joe Biden signed a new $95 billion funding package on Wednesday, under which Ukraine is slated to receive $48 billion in weapons and other assistance, while another $23 billion will be used to replenish the Pentagon’s depleted stocks.

Even before the latest aid cleared procedural hurdles, some 47% said it was “too much,” while around 20% wanted Washington to spend even more.

As for US aid to Israel, 49% of respondents said the $14 billion intended for the country under the new package was either “about right” or “not enough.”

A CBS News/YouGov survey conducted earlier this month also showed waning public support for arming Kiev. Just 53% of US adults believe the government should give military aid to Ukraine, down from 72% two years ago.

Support for Ukraine aid was highest (72%) among Americans who believe the US has a “responsibility to promote democracy” across the world. Among those who see no such obligation, only 28% believe Washington should give military aid to Ukraine.