WASHINGTON – A recent survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals a significant portion of American adults are concerned about President Donald Trump’s military interventions abroad. According to the poll, over half of the respondents, 56% to be precise, believe that Trump has “gone too far” in deploying U.S. military power to influence international affairs.

The poll, conducted in the wake of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture on January 3, highlights dissatisfaction with Trump’s overarching foreign policy strategies, particularly with his approach to Venezuela. There is a widespread disapproval of how the Republican leader is managing foreign relations, including his recent actions concerning the South American nation.

Trump’s assertive foreign policy stance has been a point of contention. His administration’s recent maneuvers, which include attempts to control Venezuelan oil, speculations about acquiring Greenland, and verbal support for Iranian protestors, have stirred mixed reactions. While some Americans see the Venezuelan intervention as a positive step towards curbing illegal drug flow into the U.S. and aiding Venezuelans, fewer people are convinced it bolsters U.S. national security or economic interests.

Despite these concerns, many Republicans remain aligned with Trump’s actions. This loyalty persists even though it somewhat contradicts the “America First” agenda he promoted during his campaign. However, the survey indicates that a majority of Republicans prefer not to see an escalation in foreign engagements, highlighting the potential political risks of maintaining an international focus.

In summary, while Republican supporters generally approve of Trump’s current foreign policy measures, the broader American electorate expresses unease over the president’s extensive military interventions abroad, questioning the long-term implications of such strategies.

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, 71%, 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, 57%, disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Venezuela, which is slightly lower than the 61% 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%, believe the U.S. actions will do more to benefit than harm the Venezuelan people, who lived under Maduro’s dictatorship 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 US 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%, say the country’s current role in world affairs is “about right,” which is up slightly from 55% 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 34% a few months ago.

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,203 adults was conducted using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.