Do Americans Support Trump's Military Action to Remove Maduro From Power? Poll Shows Split Approval Ratings

Donald Trump led the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026 via a military mission dubbed the 'Operation Absolute Resolve' by the White House. Shortly after US special operations forces apprehended the dictator, the US President posted an image to social media showing Maduro in handcuffs during his extradition to New York.

While Venezuelans around the world thanked Trump and celebrated after Maduro was successfully removed from power, American citizens are not so happy about the Trump-led airstrikes on Venezuela. New polling reveals the nation is deeply and almost evenly divided over the President's actions.

A Nation Split

A poll recently released by Reuters/Ipsos showed that 1,248 individuals participated in the survey that ran for two days, from 4 to 5 January. Based on the result, about 33 per cent of the American participants support the attack in Venezuela to take down Maduro.

Likewise, after US forces arrested Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, the polls show that Americans are very divided about the incident. While Trump's personal approval rating slightly increased, reaching 42 per cent, it also showed that the majority of the citizens are worried about America getting too involved in another country's problems. In any case, the poll results also found that 65 per cent of Republicans support the 'Operation Absolute Resolve' mission, and only 11 per cent of Democrats and 23 per cent of independents approved.

Should Congress Have Approved the Mission?

In another poll, The Washington Post surveyed 1,000 Americans to answer the same question. Respondents were almost equally divided between the 'Approve' and 'Disapprove' choices, with 'Unsure' votes in between. The polling data show that Americans are quite torn over the operation - with 40 per cent of respondents supporting the president's decision to capture Maduro, while 42 per cent are against it. The remaining 18 per cent of the participants remain undecided.

The publication also asked if they think Trump should have obtained congressional approval before ordering the attack on Venezuela. Based on the responses, the majority of Americans said the operation should have been authorised by Congress first before proceeding with the plan.

This means 60 per cent think that Congressional approval was necessary, and 40 per cent believe Trump's independent action is appropriate. Lastly, a large number of American citizens believe that the future leadership of Venezuela should be determined by its own citizens, with a mere six per cent suggesting that the United States should make that decision.

Maduro in Court to Face Legal Charges

Under heavy security, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were brought before US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Monday afternoon, 5 January 2026.

In their first court appearance, through an interpreter, Maduro said he is not guilty of the drug trafficking charges and declared he is still the leader of Venezuela, as per CBS News.

'I'm innocent. I'm not guilty — I'm a decent man,' the deposed leader told Judge Hellerstein. 'I am still president of my country.'