🔗 Share this article Venezuela Could Now Shape Trump's Political Legacy - as well as the United States' Place in the World Following launching a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the state-building arena. In a striking media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US military forces had successfully apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a group 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 safe, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" actually means is uncertain, but the commitment represents an abrupt shift in direction for the president, rife with contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "endless conflicts", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now betting his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose political stability has been undermined by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He promised to enlist American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American reconstruction efforts and benefitting the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to further 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 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 future – 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 ready to use military force worldwide. In the past week, he ordered air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. In contrast to past actions, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That twist on Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - mantra could be difficult for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's never ending use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are forced to fund it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and legitimate". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and resources that are fundamental to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "sphere of influence." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will provoke larger questions in global politics, however, and affect American relations with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar censures of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the signal Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "America should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a lawbreaker and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to abide by the law and protect democratic 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 casualties and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and competency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unclear. He and his team must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a region that is sure to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
Following launching a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the state-building arena. In a striking media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US military forces had successfully apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a group 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 safe, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" actually means is uncertain, but the commitment represents an abrupt shift in direction for the president, rife with contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "endless conflicts", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now betting his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose political stability has been undermined by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He promised to enlist American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American reconstruction efforts and benefitting the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to further 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 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 future – 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 ready to use military force worldwide. In the past week, he ordered air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. In contrast to past actions, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That twist on Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - mantra could be difficult for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's never ending use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are forced to fund it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and legitimate". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" priorities because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, land and resources that are fundamental to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "sphere of influence." Trump's decision to capture Maduro will provoke larger questions in global politics, however, and affect American relations with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar censures of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the signal Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "America should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a lawbreaker and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to abide by the law and protect democratic 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 casualties and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and competency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unclear. He and his team must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a region that is sure to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.