A CNN poll shows that 75% of Americans are against the U.S. trying to take control of Greenland.
A man walks near the church in Nuuk, Greenland, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
According to a new CNN poll by SSRS, three-quarters of Americans are against the idea of the United States trying to take control of Greenland, suggesting that President Donald Trump’s attempt to expand U.S. territory isn’t sitting well with most people.
The survey shows only 25% of Americans support the US trying to take control of the Danish territory. Even among the president’s supporters, opinion is split, with half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in favour and half opposed. Democrats and those who lean Democratic are strongly against it, with 94% opposed overall, including 80% who say they strongly oppose. Around 8 in 10 independents with no party leanings also oppose the idea.
On Wednesday, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that “anything less” than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable.” His comment came just before a White House meeting with Danish officials, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which seemed to do little to bridge the gap between the two sides.
The poll shows little interest in a wider US expansionist policy, even as Trump praises the military capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, claiming afterward that the US would now “run” the country, and issues threats to Iran’s leadership over their violent suppression of street protests.
Nearly six in ten Americans worry that Trump has overstepped in trying to expand America’s influence abroad. Only about a third feel his efforts have been about right. Most (55%) also believe he’s gone too far in using the US military to pursue his goals. And an increasing number think his foreign policy this term has damaged America’s global standing, with 57% saying so now, up from 53% last summer.
Overall, 52% are against the US decision to take military action in Venezuela, while 48% support it. Many people are worried about the stability of Venezuela’s government and believe the US military could be involved for an extended period.
With Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado set to visit the White House on Thursday, a majority (58%) now oppose US efforts to influence the actions of Venezuela’s government following Maduro’s removal from power. Strong opposition outweighs strong support by a margin of 31% to 13%.
Most Americans aren’t confident that the US action in Venezuela will result in a stable government in that country a year from now, and about two-thirds say it’s at least somewhat likely that the action will lead to a long-term deployment of US troops there.
Partisan views on the initial military action in Venezuela are mirror images: 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents oppose the action while 80% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents support it. But Democrats are more firmly opposed to US efforts to control Venezuela’s government after Maduro’s removal and more aligned in their view of Trump’s use of the military and efforts to expand American power over other countries. A majority of Democratic-aligned Americans (58%) strongly oppose the efforts to control Venezuela’s government while just 28% of Republican-aligned Americans feel strongly in favor.
The findings suggest that most Americans view gaining access to Venezuelan oil and showcasing America’s military strength as major reasons behind the US decision to act in Venezuela, while fewer believe the government’s stated goals—such as bringing Maduro to trial in the US or curbing drug trafficking—are significant factors.