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Voters Think Trump Is a Pro-War President, See Venezuela Invasion as Mostly for Oil
By a -36-point margin, a strong majority of voters think that the U.S. should be less involved in foreign conflicts, including majorities of Independents and Republicans.
Jan 15, 2026
A new Data for Progress poll, fielded after the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, finds that a majority of voters (57%) view Trump as a pro-war president.
Additionally, voters think the U.S. should be less involved in foreign conflicts and believe that U.S. regime change usually turns out for the worse.
- 62% of voters say the U.S. should prioritize spending on social welfare programs over the military, including 61% of Independents.
- Only 29% think U.S.-backed regime change usually turns out for the better.
- 69% of persuadable voters think the Trump administration is more focused on intervening in Venezuela than on lowering costs.
“Despite Trump’s desperate attempts to be rewarded for his supposed peacemaking, a majority of voters still view him as a pro-war president,” said Ryan O'Donnell, Executive Director of Data for Progress. “Voters are frustrated over not being able to afford groceries and rent. They would much rather see our government focus on bringing costs down at home instead of sending our military abroad to capture oil resources and kidnap foreign leaders.”
A majority of voters also say that the invasion was primarily motivated by the U.S. wanting to increase its control over Venezuelan oil resources. However, only 37% of voters think this should be a higher priority than investing in the development of clean energy like solar and wind in the U.S. (59%).
Read the full poll here.
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A new Data for Progress poll, fielded after the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, finds that a majority of voters (57%) view Trump as a pro-war president.
Additionally, voters think the U.S. should be less involved in foreign conflicts and believe that U.S. regime change usually turns out for the worse.
- 62% of voters say the U.S. should prioritize spending on social welfare programs over the military, including 61% of Independents.
- Only 29% think U.S.-backed regime change usually turns out for the better.
- 69% of persuadable voters think the Trump administration is more focused on intervening in Venezuela than on lowering costs.
“Despite Trump’s desperate attempts to be rewarded for his supposed peacemaking, a majority of voters still view him as a pro-war president,” said Ryan O'Donnell, Executive Director of Data for Progress. “Voters are frustrated over not being able to afford groceries and rent. They would much rather see our government focus on bringing costs down at home instead of sending our military abroad to capture oil resources and kidnap foreign leaders.”
A majority of voters also say that the invasion was primarily motivated by the U.S. wanting to increase its control over Venezuelan oil resources. However, only 37% of voters think this should be a higher priority than investing in the development of clean energy like solar and wind in the U.S. (59%).
Read the full poll here.
A new Data for Progress poll, fielded after the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, finds that a majority of voters (57%) view Trump as a pro-war president.
Additionally, voters think the U.S. should be less involved in foreign conflicts and believe that U.S. regime change usually turns out for the worse.
- 62% of voters say the U.S. should prioritize spending on social welfare programs over the military, including 61% of Independents.
- Only 29% think U.S.-backed regime change usually turns out for the better.
- 69% of persuadable voters think the Trump administration is more focused on intervening in Venezuela than on lowering costs.
“Despite Trump’s desperate attempts to be rewarded for his supposed peacemaking, a majority of voters still view him as a pro-war president,” said Ryan O'Donnell, Executive Director of Data for Progress. “Voters are frustrated over not being able to afford groceries and rent. They would much rather see our government focus on bringing costs down at home instead of sending our military abroad to capture oil resources and kidnap foreign leaders.”
A majority of voters also say that the invasion was primarily motivated by the U.S. wanting to increase its control over Venezuelan oil resources. However, only 37% of voters think this should be a higher priority than investing in the development of clean energy like solar and wind in the U.S. (59%).
Read the full poll here.
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