A majority of Americans say they oppose the United States taking military action against Venezuela, even as President Donald Trump escalates his pressure campaign against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
The survey found that 63 percent of respondents oppose U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, compared with 25 percent who support it. Opposition was strongest among Democrats, with 89 percent rejecting the idea, followed by 68 percent of independents and 33 percent of Republicans. Support for military action came primarily from Republicans, with 52 percent backing it, while just 19 percent of independents and 4 percent of Democrats said the same.
The poll also showed a gender divide, with 59 percent of men and 67 percent of women opposing military action.
Public skepticism extended to U.S. strikes on alleged drug smugglers operating on boats in international waters, another tactic the Trump administration has embraced as part of its broader Venezuela strategy. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they oppose those strikes, while 42 percent expressed support.
Once again, Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the policy, with 89 percent against the strikes, followed by 57 percent of independents and 14 percent of Republicans. Support was strongest among Republicans, with 83 percent in favor, compared with 38 percent of independents and 6 percent of Democrats. Among men, opinion was evenly split, with 48 percent supporting and 48 percent opposing the strikes. Women were more skeptical, with 59 percent opposed and 36 percent in favor.
The polling comes as President Trump has dramatically ramped up rhetoric and action against the Maduro regime. On Tuesday, Trump ordered what he called “a TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS” entering and leaving Venezuela. He also formally labeled the Maduro government a foreign terrorist organization, citing what he described as the “theft of our Assets” and other alleged crimes, including terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”
Last month, Trump warned that U.S. action on Venezuelan soil could come “very soon.” Since then, the administration has seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, with the president suggesting the United States would keep the oil.
The White House has framed the administration’s aggressive posture as a necessary step to cut off the flow of drugs from Venezuela into the United States. In a recent Vanity Fair interview, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said the president’s goal is “to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
While the polling indicates broad public reluctance to support outright military intervention, it also highlights a sharp partisan divide. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats or independents to support Trump’s hardline approach, particularly when it comes to disrupting drug trafficking and sanctioned oil shipments.
The Quinnipiac survey was conducted from Dec. 11 to Dec. 15 and included 1,035 respondents. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
As Trump continues to press Maduro with sanctions, seizures, and military pressure short of invasion, the poll suggests Americans remain cautious about deeper involvement — even as the administration argues such measures are necessary to protect U.S. security and interests.
[READ MORE: Fetterman Blasts Media Hysteria, Backs Trump’s Tough Venezuela Strategy]
