Most oppose Trump's military strikes against alleged drug boats: poll

By the numbers: 29% of Americans said they supported the military killings without the involvement of a judge or court.

• A majority (51%) said they were opposed. The rest were unsure.
• Approval was split among party lines: 58% of Republicans and 8% of Democrats said they supported the approach.

The big picture: The Trump administration has killed at least 80 people in 20 drone strikes since early September.

• The president is reportedly considering expanding the strikes to land targets, the Washington Post reports.
• The strikes have coincided with significant military buildup in the region intended to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
• "Blowing drug-laden boats out of the water, killing their crews in the process, may thrill some of our leaders, but it will not destabilize Maduro," former national security a. dviser John Bolton wrote in a Washington Post op-ed this week.

What they're saying: "All of these decisive strikes have been against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores, and the president will continue to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

Zoom in: 46% of Americans said they approve designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and allowing military action.

• 21% of U.S. adults said they would support removing Maduro via military force.

Zoom out: During a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, Maduro told CNN his message to Trump is "Yes, peace. Yes, peace."

• "We unite for the peace of the continent," Maduro said. "No more endless wars, no more unjust wars. No more Libya, no more Afghanistan."

Methodology: The poll of 1,200 U.S. adults was conducted between Nov. 7-12. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points for all adults and ±5-6 for other groups.

Go deeper: Hegseth announces Operation Southern Spear in "America's neighborhood"

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from the White House.