Partisan affiliation of U.S. veterans % who identify asm. Republican
Last fall, Trump held a wide 60%-34% advantage over Hillary Clinton among veterans, according to the national exit poll conducted by Edison Research for the National Election Pool as reported by CNN. Eight years earlier, veterans backed John McCain over Barack Obama by 54% to 44%. (The national exit poll didn’t ask about veteran status in 2012.)
In the April survey, veterans were more likely than the public overall to identify as independents, but they were about as likely as adults overall to identify as Republicans. Just 20% of veterans identified as Democrats, compared with about a third of all adults.
When the partisan leanings of independents are taken into account, a majority of veterans (56%) either identified as Republicans or leaned toward the GOP; just 40% identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic. Among the public, these numbers were almost the reverse: 43% identified as Republicans or leaned Republican, while 54% identified or leaned Democratic.
Partisan affiliation of U.S. veterans  | % who identify asm.  | Independent/  | Republican  | Democrat  | Something else  | All ad lults  | 25  | 42  | 32  | Veterans  | 29  | 49  | 20  | Ages 18-49  | All ad ults 21  | 32  | 47  | Veterans  | 25  | 59  | 16  | Age 50 or folder  | All ad lults  | 30  | 37  | 32  | Veterans  | 22  | 32  | 44  | College grad+  | All adults  | 22  | 42  | 35  | Veterans  | 22  | 24  | 54  | Non-college grad  | All ad lults  | 26  | 43  | 30  | Veterans  | 33  | 47  | 19  | Source Survey cond lucted April 4-18 2017  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 