🔗 Share this article Venezuela May Now Define President Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Position in the Global Order In the wake of launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the nation-building business. In a notable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a group including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the embattled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, orderly and careful transition," he said. What exactly "governing the state" involves is unclear, but the vow signifies an sudden shift in direction for the president, rife with inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America first" international policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose governmental stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly optimistic. He claimed his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, providing funds for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he informed reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention 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 break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has demonstrated 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 targeted atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. In contrast to past operations, which have largely involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His goal, he said during his briefing, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That twist on Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - mantra might prove difficult for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who broke with the president after accusing him of abandoning his political base, was swift to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's never ending military aggression and backing for overseas conflicts is justified because we are compelled to finance it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "criminal regime" as "decisive and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The goal of the new US security policy, he said, was to "protect trade, territory and resources that are fundamental to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke larger questions in international relations, however, and impact American ties with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing surprise and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia following its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "America should not be managing 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 devastating consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a lawbreaker and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders before launching the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his press conference, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. An Uncertain Future That mission was a triumph – with no American casualties and limited harm to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most astonishing, effective and powerful demonstrations of American power and competency in US history." Now he is staking his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is bound to be cautious of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
In the wake of launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the nation-building business. In a notable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a group including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the embattled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, orderly and careful transition," he said. What exactly "governing the state" involves is unclear, but the vow signifies an sudden shift in direction for the president, rife with inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America first" international policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose governmental stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly optimistic. He claimed his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, providing funds for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he informed reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention 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 break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has demonstrated 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 targeted atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. In contrast to past operations, which have largely involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His goal, he said during his briefing, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That twist on Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - mantra might prove difficult for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who broke with the president after accusing him of abandoning his political base, was swift to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's never ending military aggression and backing for overseas conflicts is justified because we are compelled to finance it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "criminal regime" as "decisive and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again." The goal of the new US security policy, he said, was to "protect trade, territory and resources that are fundamental to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke larger questions in international relations, however, and impact American ties with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing surprise and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia following its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "America should not be managing 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 devastating consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a lawbreaker and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders before launching the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his press conference, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. An Uncertain Future That mission was a triumph – with no American casualties and limited harm to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most astonishing, effective and powerful demonstrations of American power and competency in US history." Now he is staking his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is bound to be cautious of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.