Joseph Addington”
Jan 4, 2026
State of the Union: Republicans like the president’s work, but independents are skeptical.
Americans mostly look unfavorably on President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela, per a January 4 YouGov poll of 991 U.S. adults. When asked “do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling Venezuela?” only 39 percent of Americans responded favorably, compared to 46 percent who expressed disapproval.
Members of the president’s party seem happy with his nabbing of Maduro: Seventy-six percent of Republicans said they approved of his actions, compared to 13 percent who did not. Democrats, predictably, were dissatisfied. Thirteen percent of Democrats expressed their approval with his handling of Venezuela, while 77 percent disapproved. Independents, however, were broadly skeptical of the president’s actions: 48 percent said they disapproved of Trump’s Venezuela policy, with 39 percent expressing strong disapproval. Just 26 percent were in favor.
Younger people were particularly unhappy with Trump’s actions. Only 19 percent of 18–29 year olds approve of the president’s policies—a sharp contrast with the 50 percent of 65+ year olds who support Trump’s approach to the country.
*Joseph Addington Associate Editor at The American Conservative.
Focus: He frequently writes on international relations, economics, and political philosophy. His 2024 and 2025 work has focused on Argentine politics (e.g., “The Argentine Miracle”) and domestic policy.
Other Affiliations: Managing Editor of the Progress & Poverty Substack and President of the Young Georgists of America. He is also a doctoral candidate (EdD) at Brigham Young University
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