Poll: Trump voters back his military agenda, support possible interventions in Iran, Latin America

A new poll released Thursday by POLITICO media outlet revealed that the president's MAGA base Donald Trump, which has been characterized by its rejection of U.S. involvement in foreign wars, has embraced the Republican administration's aggressive use of military force abroad and would strongly support its escalation. The poll, conducted by Public First, shows that 65% of Trump voters support the U.S. taking military action against at least one of several potential target countries, including Iran, Greenland, Cuba, Colombia, China and Mexico.

The most prominent of all is Iran, with nearly 50% of Trump voters expressing support for military intervention in that country, the highest figure among all foreign targets. That percentage rises to 61 % among respondents who describe themselves as "Republican MAGA" Trump voters.

However, not all potential Trump targets are equally attractive to Republican voters. Support for the use of force against Greenland - a territory that Trump has sometimes suggested could be acquired by the United States even through the use of military power - is considerably lower. Only 21% of Trump voters in 2024 and 26% of voters who identify themselves as "MAGA Republicans" backed that idea.

Support for possible military action in Latin America

As shown by the poll, nearly a third of Republicans back military action even closer to home, in a context in which Trump has sought to project dominance in the Western Hemisphere. 32% of Trump voters supported military intervention in Mexico, while 30% backed military action in Colombia, with 28% saying the U.S. should intervene militarily in Cuba. Among Trump voters who describe themselves as "MAGA Republicans," those percentages are even higher.

Trump has repeatedly threatened U.S. military intervention in all three countries.In his fight against the flow of narcotics across the southern border, he has raised the possibility of bombing cartels in Mexico and has even threatened regime change to remove Colombian President Gustavo Petro from power. Likewise, the Republican leader has pushed for regime change in Cuba, evaluating various tactics to overthrow the country's communist government, including the imposition of a total blockade on oil imports.

The poll also suggested that, beyond his base of loyal supporters, Americans remain divided over Trump's approach to foreign policy during his first year back in the White House. Some fear that his emphasis on intervention in the Western Hemisphere will come at the expense of pressing domestic issues. Some 44% of Americans believe Trump has spent too much time on international affairs rather than domestic challenges.

But eamong voters who backed him in the 2024 election, 59% believe he has spent the right amount of time on international issues, compared with only 26% who express concern about that focus abroad.