This month in foreign policy (so far)

January has been a busy month in U.S. foreign policy. And that’s just the first two weeks.

First was the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that saw the U.S. military capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

What immediately followed was a renewed push by the Trump administration in efforts to acquire Greenland, this time with an emphasis in the potential use of force to make an acquisition.

Below are five charts on how Americans have felt about the U.S. foreign policy so far this year.

1. Low levels of support and a lot of uncertainty. There is some, but limited, support for the removal of President Maduro, while attitudes towards the efforts to acquire Greenland lean negative. Notably, public opinion on both these events feature a lot of uncertainty. That makes sense: international affairs are complex and neither situation is fully black and white.
2. Attitudes towards Trump stable. Even amid mixed receptions to events in Venezuela and efforts to acquire Greenland, neither have had a visible impact on President Trump’s overall approval rating.
3. On military force. The idea of the U.S. having “a policy of dominating affairs in the Western Hemisphere,” has grown among Republicans, but remains unpopular among the public as a whole. The common denominator among Americans is a reluctance to use military force, especially to acquire new territory.
4. America’s goal in foreign policy. When it comes to the “why” of foreign affairs, Americans are split.
5. Midterm implications. What will determine the outcome of this year’s midterms? For the most part, domestic issues. Barring a major escalation, U.S. foreign policy likely won’t be overly influential.

In the case of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, some optimism for the Venezuelan people existed alongside concerns that the U.S. might become “too involved.” On Greenland, things are a little different. Opposition to U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland is higher, and the hypothetical use of military force has very little support. While events so far have not moved the needle, an invasion of Greenland could.

More generally, Americans remain divided on what America’s role in the world should be: as peacekeepers or primarily acting for U.S. interests. But the common denominator, again, is an opposition to the use of military force unless absolutely necessary.

That said, foreign affairs also don’t generally register as a top issue facing the country, outside of major escalations or wars. That doesn’t mean it won’t be impactful in this year’s elections; it just won’t be the deciding issue. What are the needle movers? To answer that, we’ll repeat a slogan that has been repeated many, many times before: “It’s the economy, stupid.”