Poll: Most Americans Think Trump Has ‘Gone Too Far’ With Foreign Interventions
A majority of American adults believe President Donald Trump has exceeded appropriate limits in using U.S. military power overseas, according to a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the AP reports.
The poll, conducted January 8–11 in the aftermath of the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, found that 56% of U.S. adults think Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to military intervention in other countries. Majorities of respondents also said they disapprove of how the Republican president is handling foreign policy overall, as well as his approach to Venezuela specifically.
Those views run counter to Trump’s increasingly assertive posture on the world stage. Recent actions and statements have included moves aimed at controlling Venezuelan oil resources, repeated calls for the United States to take over Greenland, and warnings that Washington would assist demonstrators protesting the Iranian regime. While many respondents viewed the administration’s intervention in Venezuela as a “good thing” for curbing the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and as potentially helpful to Venezuelans, fewer believed it would strengthen U.S. national security or boost the American economy.
Republicans have largely aligned themselves with Trump despite the contrast between these policies and the “America First” message he campaigned on. Still, only a small share of Republicans want the president to take even more aggressive steps abroad, highlighting the political risks of deeper international involvement.
The poll was conducted against the backdrop of U.S. military action in Venezuela that led to Maduro’s capture. At the same time, Trump has made headlines by suggesting the United States could seize Greenland “the hard way” if Denmark refuses to agree to a deal, and by warning Iran that the U.S. would come to the “rescue” of peaceful protesters.
Democrats and independents are the primary drivers of the belief that Trump has overreached. Roughly nine in ten Democrats and about six in ten independents say the president has “gone too far” with military intervention, compared with only about two in ten Republicans.
Among Republicans, 71% say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only around one in ten believe he should push further.
Overall, 57% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the situation in Venezuela, a figure slightly lower than the 61% who disapprove of his foreign policy approach more broadly. Both numbers are consistent with his overall job approval rating, which has remained relatively stable during his second term.
Despite the skepticism, many Americans acknowledge certain upsides to U.S. involvement in Venezuela. About half of respondents said the intervention would be “mostly a good thing” for stopping illegal drugs from entering the United States. Forty-four percent believe the U.S. action will do more to help than harm the Venezuelan people, who lived under Maduro’s rule for more than a decade. Opinions are far more divided on whether the intervention will benefit U.S. economic interests or national security, or whether it will have little effect.
Republicans are more inclined than Democrats and independents to see advantages in the U.S. move, especially in relation to drug trafficking. Roughly eight in ten Republicans say the intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for reducing illegal drugs, though only about six in ten think it will help the U.S. economy.
The poll also shows broad resistance to expanding America’s role on the global stage. Nearly half of Americans want the United States to take a “less active” role in world affairs, while about one-third believe its current level of engagement is “about right.”
Only about two in ten U.S. adults favor greater international involvement, including just one in ten Republicans.
At least half of Democrats and independents now say the United States should scale back its global role, marking a sharp change from attitudes measured just a few months ago.
Republicans, by contrast, have grown more comfortable with the current approach. Sixty-four percent now say the country’s role in world affairs is “about right,” up from 55% in September. About one-quarter of Republicans favor a “less active role,” down slightly from 34% earlier in the fall.
{Matzav.com}
