Early polling indicates Americans are divided over the aggressive U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to a poll conducted Sunday and Monday, only roughly a third of respondents supported the operation. The poll also found 72% of those surveyed worried the U.S. would become overly involved in Venezuela because of the attack.
But poll respondents split along party lines: Around 65% of Republicans approved of the military intervention, while just 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents did.
Other polls showed a similar partisan gap. Approximately 66% of Republican respondents in surveys done in the 48 hours after Maduro’s capture said they strongly or somewhat backed the U.S. use of military force to seize him, compared to 14% of Democrats and 27% of independents. Overall, the surveys found 36% of adults approved the operation, 39% opposed it, and 25% were unsure how they felt about the strike.
Americans were also divided on whether the operation would improve conditions in the South American country: 34% believed it would, while 35% thought it would worsen the political environment there.
The Saturday attack came after the Trump Administration took action against Maduro’s government over drug trafficking accusations. The U.S. operation—the largest of its kind in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama—surprised lawmakers and the public. While the Trump Administration hailed the military action as a success, it faced criticism from global leaders. A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights office stated Tuesday that the operation has “made all States less safe around the world.” Several Democratic lawmakers have called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment in the wake of the attack.
Trump’s post-operation statement that the U.S. would “run the country” until a “proper and judicious transition” of power occurs also stirred controversy, as did his decision to name Delcy Rodríguez—who served as Venezuela’s vice president under Maduro starting in 2018—as the leading candidate to take over governing the nation, while distancing himself from Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Rodríguez was formally sworn in as the country’s interim president on Monday.
A poll conducted by Washington Post journalists, who texted more than 1,000 Americans to gather their thoughts on the attack, produced results similar to Reuters/Ipsos and YouGov surveys: About 40% approved of the U.S. using military force, 42% opposed it, and 18% were unsure how they felt. Results again differed by political affiliation: 74% of Republicans approved, compared to 13% of Democrats and 34% of independents.
But the majority of Americans—63%—said the attack should have required congressional approval, according to the Post’s poll. Reactions once more split along party lines: Only 24% of Republicans said the Trump Administration should have obtained congressional approval to carry out the operation, versus 94% of Democrats and 70% of independents.
Democratic lawmakers have criticized Trump for failing to secure congressional authorization to launch the attack.
“I cannot stand by as my Republican colleagues allow President Trump to defy the rule of law, repeatedly overstep the authority of Congress, and undermine our national security and the well-being of my fellow Americans,” Rep. April McClain Delaney of Maryland said in a statement on Monday. “Over the weekend, we saw the President—without authorization or approval from Congress, as required by our Constitution—launch an attack on Venezuela and voice his intention to ‘run’ the country.”
The Post also found that roughly half of Americans feel the U.S. should try Maduro on drug trafficking charges. On Monday, Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. Appearing before a New York court, he described himself as a “decent man” and “a prisoner of war.” His next court appearance is set for March 17.
