The Reagan Institute’s latest National Defense Survey makes something plain to anyone who still cares about America: ordinary, patriotic voters — including a strong majority of MAGA Republicans — want a bigger, stronger, and more assertive United States on the world stage. Roger Zakheim, the Institute’s Washington director, walked through the data on Mark Levin’s show and explained that Americans are coalescing around Reagan’s old truth: peace through strength is not a slogan, it’s a strategy.
Don’t let the cable-news left and clumsy pundits keep smearing MAGA as some isolationist cult; the survey shows the opposite. Large shares of Trump voters, and self-identified MAGA Republicans, favor increased defense spending and want a military robust enough to deter adversaries — they want strength, not retreat.
The numbers also demolish the tired narrative that Republicans have abandoned allies; support for Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO is higher than the naysayers admit, and Americans increasingly back standing with partners against authoritarian expansion. This is common-sense patriotism, not “forever war”: defending freedom abroad reduces the chance that threats come home.
Yes, the survey raises hard truths about confidence in our forces — trust in the military has slipped in recent years, and that’s on political leadership and strategic confusion more than on the men and women in uniform. Conservatives should treat that as a call to action: restore funding, reform procurement, and rebuild pride in service so the force remains the envy of the world.
For months the media elite and some isolationist voices have pretended MAGA means retreat; thoughtful polling shows the label includes Americans who understand the costs of weakness. The Washington Post and others will keep shouting the same spin, but the people who wake up early, run small businesses, and send their kids to school know that robust defense and smart alliances protect their livelihoods.
If Republicans want to win hearts and votes, they should stop arguing over abstract labels and start delivering tangible security: build the fleet, secure supply chains, control sensitive technologies, and fund a modern deterrent. Voters aren’t asking for foreign adventures; they’re demanding competent leadership that keeps America safe and prosperous — the kind of leadership Reagan exemplified and Zakheim rightly points to as the blueprint for renewal.
This is a moment for conservatives to be bold and responsible: defend our borders, support our troops, and stand with democratic partners while refusing to be dragged into needless conflicts. The Reagan Institute’s survey is a reminder that Main Street America still believes in strength, not surrender — and every elected Republican should listen, stand up, and act like the country’s future depends on it, because it does.
