CNN Analyst Disappoints Dems: Support for Maduro Ousting ‘Through the Roof’ After Trump Admin Capture

Conservative News DailyJanuary 8, 2026

Recent reporting says U.S. public support rose after the operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. CNN analyst Harry Enten cited reuters/Ipsos and Washington Post polling showing opposition to the ousting fell from a 47% plurality before the raid to about 38% afterward, while support climbed from 21% to about 37% – a swing Enten attributed to Americans rewarding what they view as a successful foreign-policy operation. Retired Adm. James Stavridis called the mission “remarkable,” saying rival powers would privately be impressed by the U.S. military capability. A Reuters poll found 65% of Republicans backed the operation, though 54% worried the U.S. could become too entangled in Venezuela. Commentators including Tucker Carlson praised the targeted approach, and U.S. Delta Force carried out the raid that brought Maduro to the U.S., where he faces four criminal charges, including narco-terrorism; he pleaded not guilty at arraignment.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said on Tuesday that support has surged for President Donald Trump’s administration’s capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump announced the Saturday operation in a post, with many praising the military for how the mission unfolded. Enten cited Reuters/Ipsos and Washington Post polling on “CNN News Central” that showed a significant upswing in how Americans felt about ousting Maduro after the operation.

“It’s been a dramatic change in a direction that I think the president of the United States will like,” Enten said. “Because what are we looking at here? … Pre-ousting, what you saw was the clear plurality of Americans opposed it — 47 percent. Just 21 percent supported it… After the ousting, look at that — the support through the roof. Now we’re talking about 37 percent, well within the margin of error right here of the opposition, 38 percent.”

“It turns out Americans like what they deem to be successful foreign policy operations,” he added. “And in this case, they view the ousting of Maduro, at least up to this point, as a successful one, and therefore the support way up.”

🚨 NEW: CNN reports SURGE in support for what President Trump did to Maduro +25 POINTS among the American public

“After the ousting, look! Support went THROUGH THE ROOF!” says pollster Harry Enten.

“It turns out, Americans like what they deem to be successful operations!” pic.twitter.com/SCHCcPc9TY

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 6, 2026

Retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, called the operation “extraordinary” on CNN’s “Smerconish” on Saturday. He said that Iran, Russia, and China would “privately… be impressed with the military capability” the U.S. demonstrated.

“I would argue none of those three militaries could have executed an operation like this… the idea of finding, fixing, kidnapping, taking him [Maduro] out alive with his wife, no casualties on the side of the U.S — that’s an extraordinary military operation,” Stavridis said.

While 65 percent of Republicans supported the operation, 54 percent were concerned that the U.S. could become too entangled in Venezuelan affairs, according to a Reuters poll published on Monday.

Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson said on “The Tucker Carlson Show” on Monday that he was grateful that the operation had not resulted in complete regime change.

“I’m grateful for the wisdom of not taking out the entire government. Not because I support the government, but because we have clear models in Iraq, in Libya and Syria,” Carlson said. “It can be very hard to put those things back together again… They’re kind of keeping the structure in place, but making sure it’s pro-American. That seems like a much wiser approach.”

The U.S. Army’s elite special forces unit, Delta Force, conducted the operation, bringing Maduro to the U.S. where he faces four criminal charges, including narco-terrorism. The former dictator pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday.

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