WASHINGTON (AP) — There are few signs that President Donald Trump’s supporters wanted the United States to become more involved in foreign conflicts before its military actions in Venezuela — even as many Republicans show initial support for his military strike there, according to an Associated Press analysis of recent polls.
Most Americans want the US government to focus in 2026 on domestic issues, such as health care and high costs, rather than foreign policy issues, an AP-NORC poll found last month. Meanwhile, a poll conducted immediately after the military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro suggested that many Americans are not convinced that the United States should step in to take control of the country.
And despite Trump’s suggestion that the United States could take a more expansive role in the Western Hemisphere, Republicans on the ballot last fall remained generally opposed to the United States getting more involved in other countries’ problems.
There is still room for public opinion to change as the Trump administration clarifies its next steps for Venezuela. But it could be a challenging issue for the Republican president, particularly given Americans’ desire for the government to fix economic issues in their country.
Foreign policy and the drug trade were not high priorities for many Americans
Entering the new year, Americans were less likely to want the government to focus on foreign policy than they had been in recent years.
About a quarter of American adults listed foreign policy topics — such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel or general involvement abroad — as something they wanted the government to prioritize in 2026, according to an open-ended AP-NORC question that asked respondents to share up to five issues they wanted the government to work on in the coming year. This was down from the previous two years, when roughly a third of Americans considered foreign affairs an important focus. Almost none are specifically named Venezuela.
Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges on Monday in New York. His capture followed attacks by the United States on boats that the Trump administration said were carrying drugs from Venezuela to the United States Despite the Trump administration’s focus on the issue of drug trafficking, it does not register at the top of Americans’ lists of issues that the government should focus on. Few Americans cited drug-related issues as a priority, and it was primarily a Republican issue. About 1 in 10 Republicans mentioned it, compared to almost no Democrats or independents.
Instead, Americans overall were more focused on domestic issues — including health care, economic worries and concerns about the cost of living — as top priorities for government.
More Americans say the United States should not rule Venezuela
Americans are divided about the United States’ capture of Maduro – with many still forming opinions – according to a poll by The Washington Post and SSRS that used text messages over the weekend. About 4 out of 10 approved that the US military be sent to capture Maduro, while approximately the same share were opposed. About 2 in 10 were not sure. Republicans generally approved of the action, while Democrats were largely against it.
Almost half of Americans, 45%, were against the United States taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government for the country. About 9 Americans out of every 10 said that the Venezuelan people should be the ones to decide the future leadership of their country.
In December, a Quinnipiac poll found that about 6 in 10 registered voters opposed US military action in Venezuela. Republicans were more divided: About half were in support, while about a third were against and 15% had no opinion.
A few Republicans wanted the United States more involved in world problems
Only about 1 in 10 Republicans wanted the United States to take a “more active” role in solving the world’s problems, according to an AP-NORC poll from September. They were much less likely than Americans overall, or Democrats and independents, to say the United States should become more involved. Most Republicans, 55%, said the current role of the United States in global affairs was “about right.”
It could be a tricky position for a president who ran on a promise to put “America first” and end the country’s involvement in “forever wars.” About 7 in 10 voters who supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election said they wanted the United States to take a “less active” role in solving the world’s problems, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of interviews with registered voters in all 50 states.
In December, Americans were largely divided on whether Trump was keeping his “America First” campaign promise, according to a Fox News poll. About half felt he was keeping that promise, and a similar share felt he had abandoned it.
But at least in that poll, which was conducted before the military operation that removed Maduro, Trump’s supporters are still largely behind him: About 1 in 10 Americans who voted for Trump in 2024 felt that he had abandoned the “America First” promise, while the overwhelming majority felt that he had kept it.