UKRAINE OUTPOLLS RUSSIA TEN TO ONE AMONG MAGA SUPPORTERS
Even among Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters, sympathy lies far more with Ukraine than Russia.
An Economist/YouGov poll conducted October 19–20 found that 50% of self-identified MAGA supporters sympathized more with Ukraine, compared with just 5% who chose Russia. Another 38% chose neither side, while 7% were unsure.
Across all registered voters, the gap was wider: 66% sympathized more with Ukraine and only 3% with Russia. Moscow’s invasion has attracted little sympathy, despite deep political divisions over America’s response.
The distinction becomes clearer when voters are asked about military assistance. Among MAGA supporters, 24% favored sending military aid to Ukraine, while 52% opposed it. Concern for Ukrainians does not automatically translate into support for American spending, and opposition to aid does not necessarily mean support for Putin.
That distinction matters whenever Washington presents its approach as an expression of what Americans want. Reluctance to finance Ukraine’s defense is not a mandate to excuse Russian aggression or pressure Ukrainians into accepting whatever Moscow demands.
There is a historical backdrop to these attitudes. Generations of Americans grew up during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was the United States’ principal strategic adversary. Today’s Russia is a different state, but its invasion raises a fundamental question about whether powerful governments can impose their will on neighboring countries through force.
The poll exposes the limits of any suggestion that sympathy for Moscow represents Trump’s base. Even within MAGA, Ukraine commands ten times Russia’s share of support on that question.
Americans remain divided over what their government should provide. On where their sympathies lie, the difference is unmistakable.