By the Numbers 3 June 2024
3/4%
The portion of veterans interviewed by the RAND Corporation regarding "their endorsement of extremist beliefs" who "reported a negative or traumatic life event while in the military," as discussed in a recent RAND report -- Veteran Narratives of Support for Extremist Groups and Beliefs: Results from Interviews with Members of a Nationally Representative Survey of the U.S. Veteran Community.
Key Findings:
- Almost all participants who had supported the Proud Boys in the 2022 survey denied such support in the 2023 interviews, while nearly all the participants who affirmed support for the Great Replacement on the survey believed that the Democratic Party was attempting to purchase votes through lax immigration policies.
- Many participants affirmed support for the potential need for political violence, although the responses suggested that none was intent on acting on such support.
- Roughly three-quarters of interviewees reported a negative or traumatic life event while in the military, including from interpersonal conflict (often leading to discharge), combat trauma, and physical or sexual abuse.
- Some respondents described difficulties with the transition from military to civilian life, including missing the pace and camaraderie of military life, having no resources, not knowing where to turn for help or support, struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder or depression, and even experiencing homelessness and becoming imprisoned.
- Some respondents provided narratives of life experiences that helped push them toward more-extreme political viewpoints, although drawing causal connections in the current interview-based study is difficult.
- Some interviewees explained how they were socialized into their current ideological viewpoints through friends or family and/or how their social circles provide support and encouragement for radical beliefs and support of radical groups.
- Many respondents mentioned specific media sources, social media platforms, and podcasters or political influencers that helped shape their viewpoints.
3/4%
The portion of veterans interviewed by the RAND Corporation regarding "their endorsement of extremist beliefs" who "reported a negative or traumatic life event while in the military," as discussed in a recent RAND report -- Veteran Narratives of Support for Extremist Groups and Beliefs: Results from Interviews with Members of a Nationally Representative Survey of the U.S. Veteran Community.
Key Findings:
- Almost all participants who had supported the Proud Boys in the 2022 survey denied such support in the 2023 interviews, while nearly all the participants who affirmed support for the Great Replacement on the survey believed that the Democratic Party was attempting to purchase votes through lax immigration policies.
- Many participants affirmed support for the potential need for political violence, although the responses suggested that none was intent on acting on such support.
- Roughly three-quarters of interviewees reported a negative or traumatic life event while in the military, including from interpersonal conflict (often leading to discharge), combat trauma, and physical or sexual abuse.
- Some respondents described difficulties with the transition from military to civilian life, including missing the pace and camaraderie of military life, having no resources, not knowing where to turn for help or support, struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder or depression, and even experiencing homelessness and becoming imprisoned.
- Some respondents provided narratives of life experiences that helped push them toward more-extreme political viewpoints, although drawing causal connections in the current interview-based study is difficult.
- Some interviewees explained how they were socialized into their current ideological viewpoints through friends or family and/or how their social circles provide support and encouragement for radical beliefs and support of radical groups.
- Many respondents mentioned specific media sources, social media platforms, and podcasters or political influencers that helped shape their viewpoints.