Military veterans have consistently positive sentiments about President Trump — a dynamic factor that could come into play in the 2020 election. Indeed, military vets make up 13% of the entire voting population according to a recent New York Times analysis which, uh, focused on the Democratic Party’s failure to connect with this demographic. The vets feel pretty good about Mr. Trump.

A Pew Research Center survey released in July found that 57% of all vets approve of the job Mr. Trump is doing as commander in chief. Among Republican veterans, the number is an astonishing 92%.

“Approval of Trump does not differ significantly by era of military service. Looking specifically at veterans who served before 9/11 and those whose service extended beyond 9/11, nearly identical shares say they approve of the way Trump is handling his job as commander in chief. In addition, there is no significant gap in views between veterans who served as commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers or those who were enlisted,” the poll analysis said.

Now comes some more nuanced findings. These perhaps reflect the global image of Mr. Trump, particularly among those who might want to challenge him in future days.

“Veterans are even more convinced these days that President Trump is a stronger military commander in chief than most of his recent predecessors in the White House,” says a new Rasmussen Reports voter survey.

It found that 60% of likely U.S. voters who are either now in the military or have served in the past see Mr. Trump as a stronger commander in chief than “most recent presidents.” That’s up from 53% in June of last year.

A third of the respondents felt Mr. Trump was a weaker commander; just 5% rate his performance about the same as his presidential peers of the past. The survey of 1,000 likely military voters was conducted October 29-30.

A SALUTE TO GENUINE HEROES

Fox Nation, the on-demand streaming service of Fox News, presents the Patriot Awards on Wednesday night from a grand theater in St. Petersburg, Florida, to be hosted by network regular Pete Hegseth. The sterling cast of characters includes Tomi Lahren, Ed Henry, the entire cast of “Fox and Friends,” country music star John Rich, and members of the “Duck Dynasty” family — to name a few.

The awards primarily go to military vets and first responders, and the event is meant to celebrate “modern day patriotism and steadfast dedication to nation,” the organizers say. All proceeds from the sold-out event go to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members.

“There are a lot of Hollywood awards. We intend to show who really deserves to get be recognized,” says Mr. Hegseth, himself an Army combat vet.

The red carpet awards will be featured in full on a later Fox News broadcast, on Nov. 24.

SO-SO FOR ROMNEY

Sen. Mitt Romney has been publicly critical of President Trump in recent months, prompting observers to wonder whether the Utah Republican has a hankering to run for president again. Well, maybe.

Would voters pay attention? Well, maybe not.

Here’s how Mr. Romney fares with approval ratings these days, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. It found that 37% of the respondents did not feel one way or another about the lawmaker; 19% had a “very negative” reaction and another 19% had a “somewhat negative feeling.” Sixteen percent had a “somewhat positive” feeling while 2% were “very positive” about Mr. Romney. Lastly, 7% “don’t know his name” or are undecided.

The poll of 900 U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 27-30.

MEANWHILE IN LOUISIANA

Every vote counts in 2020, and every gesture toward GOP unity is of value. President Trump knows this, which is why he journeys to Monroe, Louisiana, on Wednesday for a Keep America Great rally, primarily to campaign for Eddie Rispone, who is challenging Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in the gubernatorial race.

The incumbent’s supporters had originally planned a march to demand better education and health care among other things, but the group has canceled their event in response to a request from local law enforcement, who could not spare resources to ensure public safety, according to the organizers.

Mr. Rispone, who describes himself as a “conservative outsider,” is upbeat.

“I am excited to welcome President Trump back to Louisiana. Because of Edwards’ failed, liberal policies our state is ranked dead last in every category. With the president’s help we will defeat liberal John Bel Edwards, lower our taxes, bring down car insurance, ban sanctuary cities and finally do for Louisiana what President Trump has done for the nation,” the candidate says.

THE BERLIN WALL, 30 YEARS LATER

A forum to mull: The George & Barbara Bush Foundation and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute host an event Wednesday to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall exactly 30 years ago.

Those who were there at the time will be on hand to put it in perspective, including former Secretary of State James A. Baker, former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson and CBS News analyst Peter Maer. Two panels worth of scholars from a formidable array of academic and interest organizations will also weigh in.

Curious? The host foundations will live stream the two-hour event beginning at 10:30 EST at their respective social media platforms.

POLL DU JOUR

• 35% of Americans are paying “a lot of attention” to the 2020 election campaign for president; 39% of Republicans, 26% of independents and 42% of Democrats agree.

• 28% are paying “some” attention; 33% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 28% of Democrats agree.

• 23% are paying “only a little” attention; 22% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 22% of Democrats agree.

• 14% are paying no attention at all to the campaign; 6% of Republicans, 24% of independents and 7% of Democrats agree.

Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 27-29.

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