Americans' concerns about nuclear war and energy conflicts grow, new survey finds

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Americans are growing more concerned over a number of threats and issues facing the country — including thermonuclear war and a rising tension among countries access to energy resources — according to a poll first obtained by Fox News Digital.

Respondents to a survey from the Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF) expressed steady or increasing concern about a number of threats that could result in economic hardship or disparity for Americans, from thermonuclear war and terrorist attacks on the homeland to political violence and the use of surveillance to suppress human rights.

Those who took part in the questionnaire gave President Biden the lowest approval rating among the last eight U.S. presidents. Some 43% of those who were surveyed said they hold a "very" or "somewhat" favorable view of Biden, down 5% from those who said the same for former President Trump (48%) and a 17-point drop from those who said the same for former President Obama (60%).

Concerns of nuclear war and terrorist attacks are on the minds of Americans as tension increases between the U.S. and China, as well as other countries like Russia who are currently engaged in war.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, President Biden, center, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right. (Jim Watson, Lauren DeCicca via Getty Images)

The survey found 69% of respondents said they are "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about the threat of thermonuclear war within the next five years. That number is up eight percentage points from the same survey that was released in November 2021. Additionally, 29% said they are "not very" or "not at all" concerned with the threat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the Biden administration's unwillingness to capitalize on domestic oil production have raised concerns over the past year about access to energy amid skyrocketing inflation and rising energy prices.

American views on foreign enemies  (Fox News)

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When asked whether they were concerned that countries will fight wars in the next 10 years over access to oil, coal and other energy resources, 81% of respondents said they were "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about the issue. Only 17% said they were "not very" or "not at all" concerned that war would arise over the issue.

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The RNDF survey found 76% of respondents are "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about the threat of terrorist attacks on America, a six point drop from last year's survey that posed the same question. In a November 2018 RNDF survey, 85% of respondents expressed concern over the same threat.

American views on China (Fox News)

Additionally, concerns about political violence in America remain steady. A majority of respondents, 85%, suggested they are "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about the rise in political divisions leading to violence in the United States. That number is unchanged from the RNDF's November 2021 survey that asked the same question.

Members of the Proud Boys, left, clash with Antifa activists following a rally on August 22, 2021, in Portland, Oregon. (MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND/AFP via Getty Images)

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Americans are also growing more skeptical about the use of surveillance. In lockstep with previous RNDF's polls, the new survey revealed that 80% of Americans remain concerned about the use of surveillance technology to suppress human rights. Fifteen percent said they are "not very" or "not at all" concerned with the threat.

The survey, conducted from Nov. 9 to 17, gathered responses from 2,538 American adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.