🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis Is Poised to Define Trump's Political Legacy - and America's Position in the World Following launching a night of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the nation-building business. In a notable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then said that a team comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the beleaguered nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" entails is ambiguous, but the commitment marks an sudden change of course for the president, rife with inconsistencies and formidable obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" international policy is now staking his presidency on effectively rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to enlist American oil firms to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, supplying capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We do not fear 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: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has shown that he is more than willing to use military force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous actions, which have mostly involved missiles and warplanes that minimize the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are markedly different. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove hard for some of Trump's followers to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to condemn 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 compelled to pay for it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and assets that are fundamental to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to apprehend Maduro will raise larger questions in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless attack on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "The United States should not be running other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts that carry catastrophic results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders before initiating the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to abide by the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First demands." Trump, in his press conference, said that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That mission was a success – with zero American deaths and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most stunning, effective and impressive displays of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that success continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means is unclear. He and his team must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
Following launching a night of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the nation-building business. In a notable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then said that a team comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the beleaguered nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" entails is ambiguous, but the commitment marks an sudden change of course for the president, rife with inconsistencies and formidable obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" international policy is now staking his presidency on effectively rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to enlist American oil firms to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, supplying capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We do not fear 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: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has shown that he is more than willing to use military force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous actions, which have mostly involved missiles and warplanes that minimize the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are markedly different. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove hard for some of Trump's followers to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to condemn 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 compelled to pay for it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and assets that are fundamental to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to apprehend Maduro will raise larger questions in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless attack on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "The United States should not be running other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts that carry catastrophic results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders before initiating the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to abide by the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First demands." Trump, in his press conference, said that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That mission was a success – with zero American deaths and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most stunning, effective and impressive displays of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that success continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means is unclear. He and his team must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.