Fact Sheet
ACLU/YouGov Poll on U.S. Boat Strikes - December 2025
Document Date:
January 5, 2026
On behalf of the 老熟女午夜福利, YouGov fielded a survey of 1,016 registered voters nationwide between December 17 and 19, 2025. The survey measured voters鈥 views on the US military buildup in the Caribbean, including the Trump administration's lethal strikes on civilian boats.
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Press ReleaseJan 2026
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New Poll Shows Voters Overwhelmingly Support Public Accountability For U.s. Boat Strikes. Explore Press Release.New Poll Shows Voters Overwhelmingly Support Public Accountability for U.S. Boat Strikes
NEW YORK 鈥 The 老熟女午夜福利 released new polling today on U.S. voters鈥 views on the U.S. government鈥檚 lethal strikes on civilian boats accused of carrying drugs. As of Jan. 2, 2026, the Trump administration and U.S. military have disclosed 35 strikes, killing at least 114 people. The polling, fielded by YouGov between Dec. 17-19, 2025, shows that an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters, including 97 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of independents, and 70 percent of Republicans, agree that Americans have a right to know more about their government and that the government should release the full unedited videos of the strikes. Moreover, a majority of voters, including 87 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of independents, and 15 percent of Republicans disapprove of the strikes, and 7 in 10 respondents believe that the administration has not yet clearly shown evidence that justify the actions. The survey also dug into U.S. voters鈥 opinion on what Congress should do about these strikes and found bipartisan support for more transparency and accountability. In particular: 58 percent of voters say that the Trump administration should 鈥渄efinitely鈥 release its legal justification for the strikes on civilian boats to the public, along with an additional 25 percent saying that it should 鈥減robably鈥 do so. Overall, 95 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of independents, and 73 percent of Republicans believe the administration should either 鈥渄efinitely鈥 or 鈥減robably鈥 release the justification. 63 percent of respondents support the U.S. government releasing the unedited videos of the boat strikes, including the video of the Sept. 2, 2025, strike that allegedly killed shipwrecked survivors. Overall, 82 percent of Democrats, 51 percent of independents, and 44 percent of Republicans hold this view. 58 percent of voters support Congress holding a public hearing with government o铿僣ials responsible for the boat strikes, including 83 percent of Democrats, 56 percent of independents, and 31 percent of Republicans. 鈥淥ur polling makes clear that an overwhelming number of Americans on both sides of the aisle want Congress to step up and hold the Trump administration publicly accountable for its illegal strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean,鈥 said Christopher Anders, director of ACLU鈥檚 Democracy and Technology Division. 鈥淭his means open hearings with the officials responsible for these murders, as well as releasing both the legal justification and unedited videos of the strikes. Given the life-or-death stakes of the president鈥檚 use of force, it鈥檚 imperative that this transparency and accountability comes immediately.鈥 According to the poll, about half of respondents 鈥 51 percent 鈥 either strongly or somewhat agree that using missile strikes to fire upon boats o铿 the coast of Venezuela that might be carrying drugs constitutes murder. This includes 79 percent of Democrats, 50 percent of independents, and 20 percent of Republicans. The number is even higher when voters are asked about the September double-tap boat strike that fired upon defenseless survivors. These results come amidst an ACLU, Center for Constitutional Rights, and New York Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking the public release of the Trump administration鈥檚 legal justification for the strikes. The poll is based on 1,016 interviews conducted by YouGov on the internet of registered voters nationwide between Dec. 17 and 19, 2025. Respondents were selected from YouGov to be representative of registered voters. The margin of error is approximately 3.7 percent.Court Case: FOIA Case Seeking the Trump Administration鈥檚 Legal Justification for Deadly Boat Strikes