A significant majority of U.S. adults believe President Donald Trump has exceeded appropriate limits in deploying the American military abroad, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey, conducted between January 8 and 11 – shortly after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro – revealed that 56 percent of respondents felt Trump has “gone too far” with international military interventions. The findings also indicate widespread disapproval of the Republican president’s handling of foreign policy generally, and his approach to Venezuela in particular.
This sentiment largely contradicts Trump’s assertive foreign policy agenda, which has recently encompassed attempts to assert control over Venezuelan oil, proposals for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, and warnings of American aid for protesters in Iran. While many respondents considered the administration’s recent intervention in Venezuela a “good thing” for disrupting illegal drug trafficking into the U.S. and benefiting the Venezuelan populace, fewer perceived it as positive for U.S. national security or the American economy.
Despite the stark contrast with his “America First” platform, Republicans have largely followed President Trump’s lead. However, few within the party advocate for further international involvement, underscoring the inherent risks of a continued focus overseas.
Most Republicans say Trump’s actions have been “about right”
While the U.S. used its military power in Venezuela to capture Maduro, Trump has also made recent comments about seizing Greenland “the hard way” if Denmark’s leaders do not agree to a deal for the U.S. to take it over, and he has warned Iran that the U.S. will come to the “rescue” of peaceful protesters.
Democrats and independents are driving the belief that Trump has overstepped. About 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents say Trump has “gone too far” on military intervention, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans.
The vast majority of Republicans, 71percent, say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only about 1 in 10 want to see him go further.
About 6 in 10 Americans, 57p ercent, disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Venezuela, which is slightly lower than the 61 percent who disapprove of his approach to foreign policy. Both measures are in line with his overall job approval, which has largely remained steady throughout his second term.
Many say the US action in Venezuela will be good for halting drug trafficking
Many Americans see some benefits from U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
About half of Americans believe the U.S. intervening in Venezuela will be “mostly a good thing” for halting the flow of illegal drugs into the country. Close to 4 in 10, 44 percent, believe the U.S. actions will do more to benefit than harm the Venezuelan people, who lived under Maduro’s rule for more than a decade. But U.S. adults are divided on whether intervention will be good or bad for U.S. economic and national security interests or if it simply won’t have an impact.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to see benefits to the U.S. action, particularly its effects on drug trafficking. About 8 in 10 Republicans say America’s intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country, but fewer Republicans, about 6 in 10, believe it will benefit the U.S. economy.
Democrats and independents drive desire for U.S. to take a “less active” role
Most Americans don’t want greater U.S. involvement in world affairs, the poll found. Nearly half of Americans want the U.S. to take a “less active” role, and about one-third say its current role is “about right.”
Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they want the country to be more involved globally, including about 1 in 10 Republicans.
At least half of Democrats and independents now want the U.S. to do less, a sharp shift from a few months ago.
Republicans, meanwhile, have grown more likely to indicate that Trump’s level of involvement is right. About 6 in 10 Republicans, 64 percent, say the country’s current role in world affairs is “about right,” which is up slightly from 55 percent in September. About one-quarter of Republicans say the U.S. needs to take a “less active role” in solving problems around the globe, down slightly from 34percent a few months ago.
