Majorities of Americans oppose the U.S. using military force to invade Venezuela and overthrow Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Few see the situation with Venezuela as a national emergency, and most Americans say Donald Trump should get authorization from Congress before taking military action against Venezuela.
What you need to know about Americans' views about Venezuela, as of the December 20 - 22, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- Using military force to overthrow Maduro or to invade Venezuela is unpopular, with only around one in five Americans and less than half of Republicans supporting each plan
- 35% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of the U.S. blockading sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuelan ports, while 40% disapprove
- Two-thirds of Republicans approve of this (66% approve and 10% disapprove)
- 22% support the U.S. using military force to overthrow Maduro, and 52% oppose this
- 44% of Republicans support forcibly overthrowing Maduro and 27% oppose it
- 19% support the U.S. using military force to invade Venezuela, and 60% oppose it
- 43% of Republicans support an invasion and 34% oppose it
- 35% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of the U.S. blockading sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuelan ports, while 40% disapprove
- If Trump did use military force in Venezuela, most Americans say he should first seek authorization from Congress (74% say he should and 11% say he should not)
- 93% of Democrats, 73% of Independents, and 58% of Republicans say Trump should get congressional authorization before using military force
- 54% of self-identified MAGA Republicans — Republicans who say they are MAGA supporters — say Trump should get congressional authorization, compared to 70% of non-MAGA Republicans (Republicans who say they aren't MAGA supporters)
- 18% of Americans say the situation in Venezuela is a national emergency, including 7% of Democrats and 33% of Republicans
- 53% of Americans, including 71% of Democrats and 31% of Republicans, say the situation in Venezuela is not a national emergency
- 28% of Americans say the Venezuelan government is a foreign terrorist organization and 38% say it isn't; 34% aren't sure
- Most Democrats say the Venezuelan government is not a terrorist organization (8% say it is vs. 61% who say it isn't)
- Republicans are more likely to say Maduro's government is a terrorist group (51% vs. 14%)
- Most Americans say Venezuela is either unfriendly to the U.S. (30%) or an enemy of the U.S. (28%); 11% say it's friendly and almost no one calls it an ally (2%)
- Among Republicans, 41% say Venezuela is an enemy and 28% call it unfriendly
- Among Democrats, 14% say it's an enemy and 31% say it's unfriendly
Image: Getty (U.S. Navy / Handout)
