Partisan divide widens over foreign policy, aid to Ukraine, WSJ poll finds

A new Wall Street Journal poll highlights a stark and growing divide between Republicans and Democrats on U.S. foreign policy, with partisan rifts widening over military alliances, international aid, and even territorial ambitions.

Among Republicans surveyed, 81 percent said allies do not do enough to defend themselves and that U.S. tax dollars shouldn’t go toward their defense. In contrast, 83 percent of Democrats saw global alliances as a strength worth investing in. These results reflect a decades-long Republican shift toward foreign policy isolationism, diverging sharply from Democrats' embrace of internationalism.

This polarization is especially visible in attitudes toward Ukraine. While 83 percent of Democrats support continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine, 79 percent of Republicans oppose it. Across all voters, the split was narrower—49 percent in favor, 44 percent opposed—signaling a nation more ambivalent than partisan leadership may suggest.

The poll also tested voter reaction to one of President Trump’s more unconventional ideas: expanding US territory to include Canada and Greenland. While 51 percent of Republicans backed the idea, the public overall rejected it, with 62 percent calling it a bad idea.

Other findings show Republicans more supportive of tariffs and cuts to foreign aid. A slim majority (51 percent) of all voters favored reducing aid, driven by overwhelming Republican support (92 percent), while 85 percent of Democrats opposed cuts.

The poll of 1,500 registered voters, conducted between 27 March and 1 April 2025, has a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points.