Trump Approval Declines After Venezuela Operation, ICE Shooting

In early January, President Trump’s approval appeared to be recovering from previous lows following the government shutdown. However, since the raid to capture Maduro and the Minneapolis shooting of Renee Good, Trump’s approval has fallen sharply again.

On Jan. 8, Trump reached his highest approval since the start of November, when the effects of the government shutdown began to take hold, at -8.2 net approval. Over the last week, his approval has fallen to -12.3 in the RealClearPolitics Polling Average.

The latest Economist poll provides insight into why his approval rating declined. On the question of Venezuela, only 34% said the recent U.S. intervention to capture Maduro was justified, while 45% said it was not. In another question, 57% said Trump should have sought congressional authorization, whereas only 29% said he should not.

Trump has suggested over the last week, since capturing Maduro, that he plans to take over Greenland. On Wednesday, he wrote on Truth Social, “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”

Support is even lower regarding the U.S. acquiring Greenland. When asked whether respondents would support the United States taking Greenland by force, only 8% said they would, while 68% opposed. Regarding the U.S. acquiring Greenland by offering each Greenlandic resident between $10,000 and $100,000 to secede from Denmark, only 13% supported the proposal, while 64% opposed it. That proposal would put the cost between $550 million and $5.5 billion, given Greenland’s population of about 55,000.

The shooting of Renee Good has also not been viewed favorably by the public. The Economist poll found that only 30% said the ICE shooting was justified, while 50% said it was not. In another question, only 34% said ICE was making America more safe, while 47% said ICE was making Americans less safe.

As a result of safety concerns, 46% said ICE should be abolished, while 43% said it should not. Another Civiqs poll found results less drastic but still indicated a decline in support for ICE during Trump’s first year in office. According to their polling, ICE’s popularity peaked near the 2024 election, when 65% opposed abolishing ICE and only 20% supported it; the latest poll shows just 49% opposing abolition and 42% supporting it.

Trump’s approval on immigration, once his strongest issue, has also fallen. In the latest RCP Average, he holds a -3.8 net approval rating on immigration. He performs better on the issues of crime and the Israel-Hamas conflict, at -.8 and +1, respectively, while his approval on the economy remains worse, at -14.1.