🔗 Share this article Venezuela Could Now Determine Trump's Political Legacy - and the United States' Role in the World In the wake of launching a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the state-building arena. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the president announced that US forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a team featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the troubled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" actually means is unclear, but the commitment signifies an abrupt change of course for the president, rife with inconsistencies and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" international policy is now betting his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently upbeat. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, providing financing for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He did not exclude deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to further these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, will now have to remember the words of one of the American planners of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Changed Global Approach The US has redefined Venezuela's future – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has shown that he is quite prepared to use armed force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous actions, which have largely involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are markedly distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That twist on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan may be difficult for some of Trump's supporters to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his political base, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's perpetual use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is justified because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and assets that are core to our national security." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will raise larger questions in international relations, however, and affect American ties with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be running other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his press conference, explained that he opted not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That mission was a triumph – with zero American deaths and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and powerful displays of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has in store for them.
In the wake of launching a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the state-building arena. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the president announced that US forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a team featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the troubled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" actually means is unclear, but the commitment signifies an abrupt change of course for the president, rife with inconsistencies and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" international policy is now betting his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently upbeat. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, providing financing for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He did not exclude deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to further these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, will now have to remember the words of one of the American planners of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Changed Global Approach The US has redefined Venezuela's future – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has shown that he is quite prepared to use armed force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous actions, which have largely involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are markedly distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That twist on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan may be difficult for some of Trump's supporters to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his political base, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's perpetual use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is justified because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and assets that are core to our national security." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will raise larger questions in international relations, however, and affect American ties with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be running other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his press conference, explained that he opted not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That mission was a triumph – with zero American deaths and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and powerful displays of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has in store for them.