A significant majority of the British public has voiced its disapproval of former US President Donald Trump's dramatic military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to a new survey. The YouGov poll found that 51% of Britons disapprove of the action, which saw Maduro seized in Caracas and transferred to US custody.
Public Opinion on Trump and Starmer
Despite the widespread condemnation of the Venezuela intervention, the controversial raid has done little to shift Donald Trump's already low standing with UK voters. The poll shows that one-fifth (20%) of Brits hold a favourable view of the former President, while a overwhelming 76% view him unfavourably. These figures are virtually unchanged from a previous survey in mid-December.
In a striking comparison, Trump remains marginally more popular than Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Only 18% of the British public holds a favourable view of Sir Keir, with 74% holding an unfavourable opinion of the Labour leader.
Political Divides and Government Stance
The survey uncovered sharp political divides in attitudes towards the US operation. Support was highest among Reform UK voters, with nearly half (49%) approving of Trump's action compared to 22% who disapproved. This contrasted sharply with supporters of other parties:
- Conservative voters: 31% approval
- Labour and Liberal Democrat voters: 12% approval
- Green Party supporters: Just 5% approval
On the question of the UK Government's response, public opinion was split. Nearly one-third (32%) of all voters believed the government should have condemned Trump's actions. An identical proportion (32%) felt Sir Keir and his ministers were correct to neither condemn nor praise the decision. Only a tiny 8% thought the Government should have praised the former US President.
Views on Maduro and the Aftermath
The poll also measured British awareness and opinion of the captured Venezuelan president. Nicolás Maduro remains a largely unknown figure in the UK, with 65% of respondents answering 'don't know' when asked their view of him. However, among those who expressed an opinion, negative views dramatically outweighed positive ones, by 33% to just 2%.
Following his capture in the Venezuelan capital, Maduro was first taken to the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay before being moved to New York. He and his wife face charges for drug and gun offences, accused of running a large-scale drug-trafficking operation that allegedly flooded the United States with cocaine.
The data suggests that while the British public strongly disapproves of the unilateral military action in Venezuela, this has not been a defining factor in their overall assessment of the political figures involved, with domestic concerns continuing to shape views of Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.
