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How Americans Have Viewed U.S. Military Interventions
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Key Takeaways
- Republicans, Independents, and Democrats differ sharply on whether U.S. military interventions were the right decision, with Republicans consistently more supportive.
- Partisan divides are especially large on recent and controversial operations, such as Venezuela and Iran nuclear site strikes.
A new YouGov survey of U.S. adults finds deep partisan splits on support for major U.S. military interventions, including recent debates over Venezuela and strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
YouGov surveyed 1,097 U.S. adults from January 5–6, 2026. Respondents were asked whether, ‘given what you know now,’ U.S. military intervention in various conflicts was the right decision. Party affiliation reflects respondents’ most recent self-identification and is weighted to match estimated national party distribution.
Sharp Partisan Divides on Recent Conflicts
For the 2026 operation to remove President Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, 70.4% of Republicans say it was the right decision, compared with just 7.4% of Democrats.
Similarly, on U.S. bombing of Iran nuclear sites, 74.2% of Republicans view it favorably versus 17.4% of Democrats.
| U.S. Military Interventions | Independents | Democrats | Republicans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela (2025-present) | 20% | 7% | 70% |
| U.S. bombing of Iran nuclear sites (2025-present) | 26% | 17% | 74% |
| Yemeni Civil War (2015-present) | 11% | 9% | 28% |
| Syrian Civil War (2011-present) | 12% | 12% | 31% |
| Iraq War (2003-2011) | 18% | 16% | 40% |
| Afghanistan War (2001-2021) | 20% | 26% | 41% |
| The Gulf War (1990-1991) | 26% | 24% | 49% |
| Vietnam War (1955-1975) | 11% | 12% | 25% |
| World War II (1939-1945) | 63% | 69% | 75% |
| World War I (1914-1918) | 52% | 61% | 67% |
Historical Interventions Show Consistent Patterns
Partisan gaps appear across longer-running or historic U.S. engagements.
For example, support for the Iraq War is higher among Republicans (40.3%) than Democrats (16.2%), and the same is true for Afghanistan and the Gulf War.
Even for major conflicts like Vietnam, Republicans remain more inclined to view intervention as justified than Democrats.
Meanwhile, Independents are generally skeptical of U.S. military interventions, showing low approval for most post–Cold War conflicts, with majority support only for World Wars I and II.
Broad Agreement on World War Interventions
Where clear national consensus exists—such as World War II—both parties are relatively supportive. Support among Republicans is 75.2% and Democrats 68.7%. Similarly, for World War I, Republicans show higher support but Democrats are not far behind.
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