Most Americans oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela

Americans say they have not been told clearly why U.S. forces are massing near Venezuela and remain wary of any move toward military action, even as frustration over prices and inflation drags President Donald Trump’s ratings to new lows.

The U.S. military buildup around Venezuela has not translated into public support for any strike or invasion - if anything, it has raised more questions than backing. Across party lines, large majorities say the administration has not clearly explained what it intends to do, and that they still feel under-informed about the purpose of the deployment. Only one in five Americans say they have heard a lot about the buildup at all, a sign of how limited they feel the communication has been.

Even with U.S. forces in the Caribbean and heightened talk of covert operations against President Nicolas Maduro, most Americans do not see Venezuela as a major threat to the U.S. A larger share call it a minor threat, and they are broadly opposed to potential military action. That scepticism includes Republicans: the idea of a U.S. operation in Venezuela does not command overwhelming backing even within the president’s own party.

On the specific question of authority, three in four Americans say Mr Trump should secure congressional approval before any action, including just over half of Republicans. That insistence on a role for Congress highlights how wary the public is of an open-ended intervention.

Views are more mixed on the current U.S. attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs. Just over half the country approves, driven by near-unanimous support among Republicans. But Americans say they want to see evidence that those vessels are carrying narcotics, and most doubt that military action in Venezuela would meaningfully reduce drug flows.

Within the president’s base, there is a sharper divide. Self-identified “MAGA Republicans” are more supportive of potential military action than non-MAGA Republicans and are more likely to say Mr Trump has explained the situation sufficiently. Many in that group believe an operation would reduce drug trafficking into the U.S., mirroring earlier patterns in which this segment has tended to rally behind the president on foreign policy.

But opposition inside the party often comes from those who judge the administration most on domestic issues, above all the economy and inflation. They are more likely to say the president is not spending enough time on the economy, echoing wider frustration across the electorate.

Most Americans say Mr Trump describes inflation and prices as better than they really are. Four in ten Republicans share that view, and they tend to be among those who report rising prices at home. A majority also say the president’s policies are making the cost of food and groceries go up as the holiday season approaches.

Those concerns have pushed down the already weak assessments of the overall economy. Ratings have slipped to their lowest point of 2025, and most Americans still say prices are rising. That sense of economic strain now feeds directly into judgements of Mr Trump’s performance.

More than two-thirds disapprove of his handling of inflation. Among those who judge him mainly on that issue, the verdict is especially sharp: they overwhelmingly think he is not devoting enough time to the economy. His ratings for handling the economy and inflation have fallen over several months and are now at their lowest levels of the year.

Among independents, the slide has been particularly pronounced. Their views of Mr Trump’s handling of the economy, and his overall job approval, have dropped to new lows for his second term. That erosion has helped pull down his overall approval rating to its weakest point of the term.

On immigration, the president fares slightly better thanks to strong support from the Republican base. But the administration’s deportation programme continues to divide the country. Many Americans, especially outside the GOP, believe ICE is detaining more people than necessary and see the programme as harming the economy.

About a third of Americans, particularly in cities and suburbs, say the deportation drive is making life in their communities worse. They describe people staying home more, and link that to disruptions in local economic activity.

The release of the Epstein files is one of the few areas where there is broad agreement. Americans across party lines say it is important that the documents be made public. Most believe the files will contain damaging information about powerful people. While many say it is too early to know what will be true, more think the material is likely to be accurate than fabricated.

Republicans have grown more satisfied with the administration’s handling of the Epstein case after Mr Trump urged Congress to vote to release the files. But most Americans outside the GOP remain dissatisfied. And for many Republicans, the issue does not carry much weight: nearly two-thirds say it does not influence how they judge the president.

All findings in this article are based on a CBS News/YouGov national survey of 2,489 U.S. adults conducted between 19 and 21 November 2025, with a margin of error of ±2.4 points.

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