U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference following a U.S. strike on Venezuela where President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
A stunningly low share of Americans support President Donald Trump's controversial military strike that toppled Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, a new poll showed Monday.
Just one in three Americans back the move, an eye-popping Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed — even as the raid gave Trump's approval ratings a major boost.
While just 33% approve of the operation, a whopping 72% fear the United States is getting too deep into South America's messy affairs.
"The two-day poll showed 65% of Republicans back the military operation ordered by Republican President Donald Trump, compared to 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents.
To boot, Trump's approval just hit 42% — his highest since October and a jump from 39% in December. Additionally, 43% of Republicans enthusiastically agreed the U.S. should dominate Western Hemisphere affairs, compared to just 19% who disagree.
The survey of 1,248 Americans, conducted online Sunday and Monday, carried a 3-point margin of error.
Trump's administration has defended snagging Venezuela's leader as a major narco-terrorism crackdown, citing decades-old drug-trafficking charges and a bounty on Maduro's head. The dramatic capture comes hot on the heels of months of brutal, lethal strikes on alleged drug boats, economic sanctions, and a stranglehold blockade — all billed as a war on narcotics and a clampdown on migrant waves pouring out of the regime.