The U.S. remains by far the biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, having donated more than all other Western countries combined. And based on how much the war dominates discussion on the news and social media, you’d assume that it was foremost among Americans’ concerns.
But this doesn’t appear to be the case. In a Quinnipiac University poll taken on August 31st, Americans were asked:
In your opinion, what is the most urgent issue facing the country today: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19, inflation, climate change, health care, racial inequality, immigration, election laws, abortion, gun violence, or crime?
The top answer was “inflation”, chosen by 27% of respondents. Next were “abortion”, “gun violence” and “climate change”, chosen by 9% of respondents each. Then came “immigration”, chosen by 8% of respondents. “Russia/Ukraine” was second to last, chosen by only 2% of respondents.
In fact, more respondents said “election laws” is the most important issue facing the country.
Back in May, Pew Research asked Americans whether the U.S. is providing too much or too little support to Ukraine. 42% said “too little”, and only 7% said “too much”. When they asked the same question in September, the percentages were 18% and 20%. (Though, of course, the U.S. did provide a lot of support in the interim.)
Read More: U.S. Public Opinion on the War in Ukraine
