We texted 1,000 Americans about U.S. actions in Venezuela. Here’s what they said.
We texted 1,000 Americans about
U.S. actions in Venezuela
Here’s what they said.
What do Americans think about the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro? What role should the U.S. have in deciding how the country is governed? The Washington Post texted 1,004 Americans to ask.
The Post poll finds Americans are almost evenly split between approval and disapproval of the U.S. sending forces to capture Maduro, though most say the operation should have required congressional approval. The public is also skeptical about the U.S. taking control of Venezuela’s government or deciding its leadership.
The poll is a snapshot of the public’s initial reactions to the Venezuela operation during the weekend when many were first learning of the events, with 6 in 10 respondents saying they heard at least “a good amount” about the operation.
Participants’ answers have been lightly edited for clarity and style.
Do you approve or disapprove of the United States having sent its military forces into Venezuela to capture Maduro?
Four in 10 Americans approve of sending military forces into Venezuela to capture Maduro while about the same share disapproves and almost 1 in 5 are unsure.
We need to stop the drug cartels. This is a start.
South Carolina woman, 68, Republican
I don’t want the U.S. getting involved in another completely unnecessary war.
Washington state man, 30, Democrat
Maduro was an illegitimate president. He refused to yield power to the legitimate winner.
Colorado man, 48, independent
I generally dislike the U.S. intervening in other countries’ affairs and especially dislike attempting regime change. It hasn’t been successful in the past.
Texas man, 37, Republican
It is good for the people of Venezuela, but are we doing it for the right reasons?
Massachusetts woman, 66, independent
Reactions to the operation split sharply along partisan lines, with 74 percent of Republicans approving and 76 percent of Democrats disapproving. Slightly more independents disapprove than approve, with a relatively large share saying they are unsure.
Was it appropriate for Trump to order the operation on his own, or should it have required approval from Congress?
More than 6 in 10 Americans say the operation should have required approval from Congress, while fewer than 4 in 10 say it was appropriate for Trump to order the operation on his own. Republicans say Trump’s actions were appropriate by about 3-to-1 margin, while large majorities of Democrats and independents say Congress should have had to sign off.
Do you think the U.S. should or should not put Maduro on trial for drug trafficking?
Half of the public says the U.S. should put Maduro on trial for drug trafficking. Only 14 percent say this should not happen, while 36 percent are unsure.
Would you support or oppose the U.S. taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government for the country?
Looking forward, The Post poll finds more Americans oppose than support the U.S. taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government for the country, with a significant 30 percent saying they are unsure. Trump has said the United States will “run the country” for an unspecified period.
Just under half of Republicans support taking over Venezuela and deciding a new government for the country; roughly 2 in 10 oppose this idea while about one-third are unsure. Support drops to 18 percent among independents and 9 percent among Democrats, with pluralities or majorities of both groups opposing it.
In your opinion, who should decide the future leadership of Venezuela?
An overwhelming majority of Americans say the Venezuelan people should decide the leadership of the country, while only 6 percent say the U.S. should do so.
There’s bipartisan agreement on this question, with upward of 9 in 10 Republicans, Democrats and independents saying Venezuelans should choose their leaders.
About this story
This Washington Post poll was conducted by text message on Jan. 3-4, 2026, among a random national sample of 1,004 U.S. adults from the SSRS Opinion Panel, an ongoing survey panel recruited through random sampling of U.S. households. The sample was weighted to match U.S. population demographics, partisanship and 2024 vote choice. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Analysis by Scott Clement. Development by Irfan Uraizee and Eric Lau. Design by Shikha Subramaniam. Editing by Maureen Linke, Courtney Kan and Betty Chavarria. Copy editing by Jeremy Lang.
