WASHINGTON (AP) — While many Republicans initially voiced support for Trump’s military strike on Venezuela, there are few signs that President Donald Trump’s supporters want the United States to become more involved in foreign conflicts before taking military action against Venezuela, according to an Associated Press analysis of recent polls.
An Associated Press-NORC poll last month found that a majority of Americans want the U.S. government to focus on domestic issues such as health care and high costs in 2026, rather than foreign policy issues. Meanwhile, polls taken immediately after the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro showed that many Americans do not believe the United States should step in to take control of the country.
Despite Trump’s suggestions that the United States might take a broader role in the Western Hemisphere, Republicans in polls last fall remained broadly opposed to greater U.S. involvement in other countries’ issues.
There is still room for public opinion to shift as the Trump administration clarifies its next steps toward Venezuela. But it could be a challenging issue for the Republican president, especially given that Americans want the government to solve domestic economic problems.
For many Americans, foreign policy and the drug trade are not top priorities
Going into the new year, Americans are less likely than in recent years to want their government to focus on foreign policy.
The Associated Press-NORC asked an open-ended question asking respondents to share up to five issues they want the government to address in the coming year. According to the question, about a quarter of U.S. adults named foreign policy topics such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel or full engagement abroad as what they want the government to prioritize in 2026. That’s down from the previous two years, when about one-third of Americans said foreign issues were an important focus. Few specifically named Venezuela.
Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in New York on Monday. His arrest followed a U.S. attack on a ship the Trump administration said was transporting drugs from Venezuela to the United States. Despite the Trump administration’s focus on drug trafficking, it does not appear on the list of issues that Americans need to focus on as a government. Few Americans prioritize drug-related issues, and it’s largely a Republican problem. About 1 in 10 Republicans mentioned this, while almost no Democrats or independents mentioned it.
Instead, Americans overall are focusing more on domestic issues — including health care, economic concerns and cost-of-living worries — as government priorities.
More Americans say U.S. should not run Venezuela
A Washington Post/SSRS poll conducted via text message over the weekend showed Americans are divided on the U.S. capture of Maduro, with many still forming opinions. About 4 in 10 support sending U.S. troops to capture Maduro, while about the same share oppose it. About 2 in 10 were unsure. Republicans generally support the action, while Democrats mostly oppose it.
Nearly half of Americans (45%) oppose the United States taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government for the country. About 9 in 10 Americans say the Venezuelan people should be the ones determining the country’s future leadership.
In December, a Quinnipiac University poll found that about 6 in 10 registered voters opposed U.S. military action in Venezuela. Republicans are even more divided: About half support it, about a third oppose it and 15% have no opinion.
Few Republicans want America to be more involved in solving world problems
Only about one in 10 Republicans want the United States to take a “more active role” in solving the world’s problems, according to a September AP-NORC poll. They are much less likely than Americans overall, Democrats and independents, to think the United States should be more involved. A majority of Republicans (55%) say the U.S.’s current role on global issues is “about right.”
That could be a tricky situation for a president who has pledged to put “America first” and end America’s involvement in “forever wars.” AP VoteCast interviews with registered voters in 50 states across the United States show that about 7 in 10 voters who support Trump in the 2024 presidential election said they want the United States to play a “less active” role in solving the world’s problems.
A Fox News poll showed that in December, Americans were deeply divided over whether Trump kept his “America First” campaign promise. About half thought he was delivering on that promise, while a similar number thought he had abandoned it.
But at least in polls conducted before the military campaign to oust Maduro, Trump’s supporters remained largely behind him: About 1 in 10 Americans who would vote for Trump in 2024 believe he has abandoned his “America First” promise, while a vast majority believe he has kept that promise.
