January 14, 2026
Following the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela, 45% of the public say the country should be less involved in solving the world’s problems, and a majority say President Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene abroad.
Most Republicans believe Trump’s use of the military in foreign affairs has been about right, though few Democrats or independents agree.
Half of the public believe that U.S. intervention in Venezuela, including the capture of its president Nicolás Maduro, is a good thing for halting the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. Another 44% feel the same way when it comes to its effect on the Venezuelan people.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say U.S. involvement will stop drug trafficking into the U.S., benefit the Venezuelan people, and will positively impact U.S. national security and the U.S. economy.
Four in ten adults approve of how Trump is handling his job as president overall, and about the same share approve of his handling of Venezuela, the economy, immigration, and foreign policy. His overall approval rating as well as his marks on the economy, immigration, and foreign policy are roughly unchanged from December 2025.
Republicans express higher levels of support than Democrats for Trump’s overall job performance and across all four issues surveyed.
The nationwide poll was conducted January 8-11, 2025, using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,203 adults.
- Suggested Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “Fewer want the U.S. to take an active role in global affairs” (January 2026). https://apnorc.org/projects/fewer-want-the-u-s-to-take-an-active-role-in-global-affairs/
