CBS News poll finds most would oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela, say Trump hasn’t explained

Americans are wanting to know more because of the situation surrounding Venezuela.

Majorities across party lines say the administration needs to make clear what the US intends to do with any action, and it has not yet done so clearly.

Meanwhile, what Americans hear from the White House inflation This isn’t what they’re really feeling at home, they say: rising prices And worsening Economic considerations.

Meanwhile, Americans don’t think about Venezuela As a major threat to America. Instead, more people notice a minor thing, and they protest it en masse. possible military action,

Therefore, the idea of ​​possible US military action in Venezuela meets with widespread rejection. It doesn’t get overwhelming support even from Republicans.

Three out of four Americans also say Trump would need it Congress approval Before taking military action in Venezuela, including more than half of the Republicans.

Only one in five Americans has heard much about the US military buildup at first hand. This may be another expression of the feeling of limited information about the objective.

current army attacks on boats Skepticism about bringing drugs was found to be divided – just over half approved, driven by almost universal support among Republicans – although Americans overall said by an overwhelming majority that they should see evidence that the drugs were there.

However, most Americans do not think US military action in Venezuela will change the amount of drugs coming into the US

Looking more closely within the president’s GOP base: There really are MAGA Republicans More Support of possible military action compared to non-MAGA.

For context, this is similar to what we have seen over time on many issues, including foreign policy, in which that segment of the base is largely deferential to the president. (As an example, MAGA also supported bombing in iran months ago.) Most of them say the President Is explained things, and in turn, Venezuela is more likely to view any action as a reduction in the amount of drugs entering the US

But many who oppose military action, including those in GOP ranks, may also be looking at it in the context of issue priorities. They are more likely to evaluate an administration based on what it does economy Than those who are in favor. And most people who evaluate him in terms of the economy think he is not spending enough time on it.

Here’s what the US says about the economy

There is a gap between how Americans hear the White House describing the economy and what they are feeling themselves.

Most Americans say Trump describes Prices and inflation make things look better than they actually are.

(This includes four in 10 Republicans who say this about Trump. They are also among those who say prices are rising.)

It comes as ratings for the overall economy remain low – as they have been for years – dropping to their lowest level in 2025 this week.

In general, most people still see prices going up.

As we head into the holiday season, that economic discontent includes a majority of Americans who feel that President Trump’s policies are driving up the prices of food and groceries, in particular.

So, it appears that that isolation will continue to impact the president’s ratings.

There are many ways in which Americans evaluate a president. Those who say they judge Mr. Trump most based on his actions regarding the economy and inflation largely say he is not spending enough time on it.

In return, he has continued to advance his approval of the economy and reduce inflation over the course of several months. That trend continues this week, with his assessment of the overall economy, and his ratings for his handling of the economy and inflation hitting their lowest levels of the year.

More than two-thirds disagree with his handling of inflation.

He performs particularly poorly in handling the economy, primarily among the people. judge On that he.

Among independents, his ratings for his handling of the economy and overall have also fallen to their lowest levels in years. It has also continued to erode his approval ratings over time, which have now reached a low point for his second term after a steady decline in recent months.

With continued large support from the GOP base, the president fares slightly better on tackling immigration than it has for months.

The decline in the president’s overall approval rating is thus linked to people’s economic preferences: Even among those who voted for him in 2024, disapproval is more likely to come today when people are judging him mostly on the basis of the economy.

exile

The administration’s deportation program continues to divide the country, but support remains strong among Republicans.

Most – especially those outside the GOP base – continue to feel that ICE is preventive More people than necessary.

But the deportation program is seen by many as weakening rather than strengthening the economy.

One possible reason: A third of the country (those who live in cities and suburbs) say it is having a worse impact on their community, and they feel that people in their area are staying home more as a result of the program.

epstein files

Americans of all parties think it is important to see the Epstein files released.

Americans overwhelmingly believe they will contain damaging information about powerful people. Most say it’s too early to know whether what they contain is true or not. However, on balance, more people think the information will be true rather than false.

Republicans are more satisfied than in the summer with how the Trump administration is handling the Epstein case. (The survey was conducted just after Trump said Congress should vote to release the files, which they did shortly thereafter.) Today, most others are not satisfied.

However, the president’s Republican base says the issues surrounding the files are not important to how they judge him. About two-thirds of Republicans say it doesn’t affect how they evaluate Trump overall. (However, independents and Democrats give it comparatively higher importance in this regard.)

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This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted between November 19-21, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 2,489 U.S. adults. The sample was weighted as representative of adults nationwide by gender, age, race, and education based on data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey, as well as the 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.4 points.