Trump’s Approval in Venezuela Falls to 9.7% Amid Oil Controversy

President Donald Trump compared his oil strategy in Venezuela with the possibility of the United States remaining in Iran. Meanwhile, a Meganálisis poll indicates that his standing among Venezuelans has deteriorated sharply.

Trump said the United States could remain in Iran and “keep the oil like in Venezuela,” as the survey showed a steep decline in his approval rating among Venezuelans. Reuters reported the remarks during his visit to Ireland.

• Why it matters: According to Meganálisis, Trump’s approval rating in Venezuela fell from 92.2% in January to 9.7% in August—a decline of more than 82 percentage points.

Trump Invokes Venezuela While Explaining His Oil Strategy

Trump was discussing the war with Iran when he raised another possibility besides eventually withdrawing US forces: remaining in the country because of its energy resources.

“We’ll eventually get out [of Iran], unless we decide to stay and keep the oil like in Venezuela,” Trump said, according to Reuters. He also claimed that revenue obtained from Venezuela had covered the cost of the war “many times” over.

• Background: The oil agreement with Venezuela was announced on August 28 and provides for US control of one-fifth of the country’s oil reserves, according to Reuters.
• The timing: Trump’s latest remarks came after Meganálisis asked Venezuelans what they believed had motivated his actions in the country.

The comparison is significant because the survey suggests that oil now occupies a central place in respondents’ perceptions of the US president’s intentions.

Meganálisis Records an 82-Point Drop in Trump’s Approval in Venezuela

According to Meganálisis, Trump’s approval rating fell from 92.2% in January to 9.7% in August, while his disapproval rating reached 69.2%.

The polling firm attributed the deterioration to the gap between the expectations of political change generated at the beginning of the year and the results Venezuelans believe they have seen eight months later.

• By the numbers: Meganálisis surveyed 1,129 people between August 24 and 31 and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 2.92 percentage points.
• Public perception: A total of 70.1% said Trump acted against Nicolás Maduro to take control of Venezuela’s oil, while 8.9% believed he sought to liberate the country.

The oil agreement was announced while the survey was being conducted. The timing establishes a coincidence but does not prove that the agreement alone caused the decline in Trump’s approval rating.

María Corina Machado Leads Delcy Rodríguez in Poll

Confidence in Trump plummets in Venezuela as María Corina Machado’s rises https://t.co/xpxK4Fu2iL

— ABC.es (@abc_es) September 12, 2026

Trump’s declining approval contrasts with the support Meganálisis recorded for María Corina Machado across several hypothetical Venezuelan political scenarios.

In a hypothetical contest between Machado and interim President Delcy Rodríguez, the poll placed Machado at 75.5% and Rodríguez at 3.8%.

• Another finding: In a presidential scenario involving several candidates, Machado received 61.2%, according to the Meganálisis survey conducted in August.
• What it shows: The poll simultaneously reflects strong support for Machado and declining confidence in Trump, although it measures public opinion at a specific moment and does not establish a causal relationship between those two trends.

Trump’s remarks about “keeping the oil” now add another political element to the debate. They coincide with a survey in which seven out of 10 respondents associated his actions in Venezuela specifically with gaining control of the country’s oil resources.

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SOURCE: ABC / Reuters