US Public & Political Opinion on Venezuela

Since September 2nd, US military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean have killed at least 83 people. This has raised questions about the legitimacy of such operations and whether Trump is resorting to fighting elsewhere to alleviate political pressure at home.

Some experts even believe Trump's ultimate goal may be to change the government in Venezuela to remove dictator Maduro, whose recent elections have been deemed invalid by the US administration, and whom the State Department alleges heads a cartel recently designated a terrorist organization—a move that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday would give the US "new options" to fight "narco-terrorism" in the region. But the idea of ​​starting a new war with Venezuela is not well-received in the U.S.

A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted November 19-21 showed that 70% of respondents opposed U.S. military action in the South American country, and 56% believed any military action would have no impact on the amount of drugs coming into the U.S.

And a Reuters and Ipsos poll in November also found that most Americans believe the risks of U.S. military action in Venezuela outweigh the benefits, although opinion is largely divided along party lines, with Republicans being more supportive.

However, some prominent Republicans have expressed their opposition.

Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) on Sunday warned of a potential rift within the GOP, where some members have already questioned the administration's boat-bombing campaign, reflecting congressional Democrats' reservations about Trump's actions in Venezuela. Paul said on CBS News, "I think once Venezuela is attacked, you'll see the movement supporting the president disintegrate and disintegrate."

He explained, "I think a lot of people, including myself, are attracted to the president because he's hesitant to involve us in a foreign war." Paul, who was one of two Republicans (along with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski) who voted with Senate Democrats to require congressional approval before Trump takes any military action against Venezuela, criticized the administration's recent designation of the Cartel de los Solas as terrorists, saying: "I think by doing that, they're pretending like we're at war. They're pretending like they have some sanction for what they're doing." Trump said last week that the designation gives the US military more options to target Maduro's assets, though he also expressed a willingness to engage with Maduro to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Other Republicans, while not as critical of the administration as Paul, have also expressed concern about continued U.S. military activity around Venezuela. Senator Todd Young (R., Ind.) voted against the legislation that Paul and Murkowski supported, but clarified in a statement that his vote was not "an endorsement of the administration's current path in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific" and that he is "troubled by many aspects and tenors of this operation, which he believes differs from the understanding of most Americans."