Area residents show support for McConnell Air Force Base airmen during a Veterans Day parade Nov. 11, 2023, in Wichita, Kan. A new Gallup poll reveals a decline in Americans’ confidence in their military. (William Lunn/U.S. Air Force)

Americans’ confidence in their military has hit a nearly 20-year low, knocking the United States out of its usual top position among Group of Seven countries when it comes to positive sentiment toward the armed forces, a new poll found.

With a confidence rating of 81% of those polled in 2023, the U.S. now stands behind France and the United Kingdom, according to a Gallup survey released Wednesday. Drops in public confidence also were seen in other U.S. government institutions, such as the judiciary.

“For the first time in almost two decades of polling, the United States now lags behind most of the other leading industrialized nations in the G7 across a range of Gallup indicators,” the pollster said in a statement.

Americans’ confidence in their military has stood out among the G-7 since the survey topic was launched in 2006, according to Gallup, which did not specify when the poll was conducted, how many people were surveyed or what the margin of error was.

But France now holds the top spot, at 86%, with the U.K. close behind at 83%. Germany was at the bottom of the G-7 pack, with only 60% having confidence in the country’s military.

While Germany’s low standing is likely connected to the intense criticism Berlin has faced over the years for failing to invest sufficiently in its military, the United States spends more on military matters than any nation in the world.

The Gallup poll did not indicate what could be behind Americans’ drop in confidence. However, in recent years the military has found itself a target in hot-button culture war issues.

Right-wing politicians and pundits have taken frequent aim at the Pentagon, accusing it of embracing “woke” identity issues such as transgender-friendly policies and prioritizing “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives.

Various military leaders have pushed back on accusations that emphasizing diversity equates to going soft.

Last year, the Army’s top civilian leader, Christine Wormuth, described the service as “a ready Army, not a woke Army.”