🔗 Share this article Venezuela Is Poised to Determine Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Place 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 remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president announced that US military forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the embattled nation. "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" actually means is unclear, but the pledge represents an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America first" international policy is now gambling his administration on effectively reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He pledged to recruit American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, supplying funds for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out sending American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a vocal opponent of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to consider the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force internationally. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-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 missiles and aircraft that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are markedly distinct. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "make Venezuela great again." Reactions from Allies and Critics That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove difficult for some of Trump's followers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of deserting his core supporters, was swift to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's endless use of force and support of 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 notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that asserted 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 goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and assets that are core to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will provoke larger concerns in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following 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 centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were sharper. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in endless wars and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a lawbreaker and a autocrat with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with zero American deaths and minimal harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and powerful demonstrations of American power and proficiency in American history." Now he is betting his legacy on that success enduring, as the US says it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is sure to be cautious of what Trump's international strategy 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 remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president announced that US military forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be taking control of the embattled nation. "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" actually means is unclear, but the pledge represents an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America first" international policy is now gambling his administration on effectively reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He pledged to recruit American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, supplying funds for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out sending American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a vocal opponent of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to consider the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force internationally. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-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 missiles and aircraft that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are markedly distinct. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "make Venezuela great again." Reactions from Allies and Critics That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove difficult for some of Trump's followers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of deserting his core supporters, was swift to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's endless use of force and support of 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 notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that asserted 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 goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and assets that are core to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will provoke larger concerns in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following 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 centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were sharper. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in endless wars and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a lawbreaker and a autocrat with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with zero American deaths and minimal harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and powerful demonstrations of American power and proficiency in American history." Now he is betting his legacy on that success enduring, as the US says it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is sure to be cautious of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.