Venezuela is viewed by most Americans as having an adversarial relationship with the U.S., but few describe the situation there as a U.S. national emergency. Many Americans don't have an opinion on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and only a small share support the U.S. using military force to overthrow him. More Americans support than oppose the U.S. military attacking boats accused of drug smuggling in international waters.
What you need to know about how Americans view Venezuela, as of the November 15 - 17, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- Americans are more likely to have negative than positive perceptions of U.S. relations with Venezuela: Half view Venezuela as either an enemy (21%) or unfriendly (30%), while 12% view it as friendly and 2% see it as an ally to the U.S.
- Only 15% of Americans — including 5% of Democrats and 29% of Republicans — view the situation in Venezuela as a "national emergency" for the U.S.; 50% think it is not a national emergency and 34% are unsure
- Opposition outweighs support for the U.S. using military force to overthrow Maduro: 45% are opposed to the U.S. overthrowing Maduro while only 17% are in favor of doing so. Many (38%) are unsure
- Most Americans (60%) don't have an opinion on Maduro; 6% view him very or somewhat favorably and 34% view him unfavorably
- Most Americans (71%) — including 90% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans — think that if Trump wants to use military force in Venezuela, he should first seek authorization from Congress. 13% of Americans — including 3% of Democrats and 27% of Republicans — think he should not seek congressional approval
- Americans are more likely to strongly or somewhat approve than to disapprove of the U.S. military attacking boats containing suspected drug smugglers in international waters (50% vs. 39%)
- Democrats disapprove of the attacks by 71% to 21%. Republicans approve by 85% to 8%
See additional YouGov polling on this topic: The U.S. Navy deployment near Venezuela has become even less popular in the past month
Image: Getty (U.S. Navy / Handout)
