- Only 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents support the American strike.
- About 43% of Republicans support the policy of American dominance.
- Nearly 59% of Republicans support US control of Venezuelan oil.
Washington: One in three Americans approve of the U.S. military attack on Venezuela that overthrew the country’s president, and 72% fear the United States will become too involved in the South American country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Monday.
The two-day poll showed that 65% of Republicans support the military operation ordered by Republican President Donald Trump, compared to 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents.
U.S. forces invaded Caracas before dawn Saturday in a deadly raid that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the U.S. military handed over to federal authorities for prosecution on charges of alleged drug trafficking.
The raid and Trump’s subsequent declaration that the United States would now “govern” Venezuela marked a sharp turn for a president who has long criticized other American leaders for their foreign entanglements.
The move came after his administration signaled that it intended to focus primarily on the national economy, a major concern for voters heading into this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress during the final two years of Trump’s term.
Republicans support “dominant” policy
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted on Sunday and Monday, showed significant support among Republicans for a foreign policy that includes exerting influence over neighboring countries.
About 43% of Republicans said they agreed with the statement, “The United States should have a policy of dominating affairs in the Western Hemisphere,” compared to 19% who disagreed. The rest said they were not sure or did not answer the question.
Trump said Saturday that the United States would “govern” Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time and could send ground troops. Vowing to reform Venezuela’s oil industry, he said Sunday that the United States needs “full access” to the country’s large oil fields.
About 60% of Republicans in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they supported sending U.S. troops to Venezuela, compared with 30% of Americans overall. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans said they supported the United States taking control of the oil fields in Venezuela.
It is still unclear how Trump plans to fulfill his promise to govern Venezuela. On Sunday he appeared to indicate that Washington would control Venezuela by intimidating its leaders rather than actually governing the country.
“If you don’t behave, we will do a second attack,” Trump said. Whatever course it takes, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 65% of Republicans support the United States governing Venezuela.
Republicans are more divided in their concerns about how U.S. involvement could evolve. About 54% of Republicans said they were worried about the United States becoming too involved in Venezuela.
The same percentage expressed concern about financial costs, compared to 45% who said they were not worried. Sixty-four percent of Republicans feared that U.S. involvement would put the lives of military personnel in Venezuela at risk.
The poll, which surveyed 1,248 American adults nationwide, showed Trump’s approval rating at 42%, the highest since October and up from 39% in a December survey. The survey, which was conducted online, had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
