Public opinion in the United States is sharply divided over President Donald Trump launching a large-scale military operation to oust Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro.
On the 18th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing its own survey, that opinion on the U.S. operation against Venezuela is evenly split, with 49% in favor and 47% opposed. Earlier, on the 3rd, the U.S. military's Delta Force captured President Maduro and his spouse within three hours of the operation, and no U.S. casualties occurred in the process.
Reactions to the operation were clearly polarized along political lines. Among Republicans, 89% supported the operation, while 86% of Democrats expressed opposition. John Anzalone, a progressive pollster who took part in the survey, said, "Voters knew that Maduro is a 'clear villain,' and they were likely impressed by the swift and clean operation."
Anzalone, however, noted that these reactions reflect an assessment of the operation itself and do not translate into support for long-term rule in Venezuela. In fact, only 39% among respondents favored the United States directly running Venezuela, while 57% were opposed. Trump said the United States would "run" Venezuela until a proper political transition takes place.
Support for Trump's foreign policy showed a clear decline. The net favorability on foreign policy fell from minus 4 points in Jul. last year to minus 11 points this month, and 53% among respondents said "President Trump is getting involved in unnecessary overseas issues over the U.S. economy."
Dina Smeltz, a foreign policy opinion expert at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said, "Americans prioritized inflation and immigration in the last presidential election," adding, "Recent polls commonly indicate that voters think President Trump is focusing too much on foreign affairs."
A favorability survey of Trump administration officials highlighted differences by figure. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. all posted similar favorability around 44%, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew notably negative ratings at 37% favorable and 47% unfavorable. The result appears to reflect anxiety about the role of the Ministry of National Defense (War Department) and future military strategy after the Venezuela operation.
Fatigue with Trump's hardline foreign remarks also surfaced. Among respondents, 53% said the military pressure and threats against Latin American governments such as Colombia and Cuba are "excessive." When asked recently whether the Venezuela operation could be expanded to Colombia, Trump said it was "not a bad idea," and he also warned Cuba that it should "make a deal before it's too late."
There was also significant agreement on the need for institutional checks on the use of military force. Among respondents, 52% said "President Trump should have obtained congressional approval before the Venezuela operation." In fact, the U.S. Senate recently voted on a bill to require congressional approval for additional military action against Venezuela, but the measure failed on Vice President Vance's casting vote after a 50-50 split.
Trump also received low marks on other foreign policy issues. The net rating for his response to the war in Ukraine was minus 14, worse than in Jul. last year, and only 32% said his Middle East policy is "appropriate." Forty-five percent of respondents said "the U.S. government is too close to Israel," while 9% said it is "not close enough."