🔗 Share this article Venezuela Could Now Shape President Trump's Political Legacy - and America's Position in the Global Order In the wake of executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the state-building arena. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the beleaguered nation. "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, orderly and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" involves is unclear, but the commitment marks an abrupt shift in direction for the president, laden with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who ran on opposing "endless conflicts", 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 effectively reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to enlist American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, providing capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding 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 informed reporters. Trump, a vocal opponent 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: "If you break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's destiny – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago promising 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 authorized air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike previous operations, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are strikingly different. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra may be difficult for some of Trump's backers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who split from the president after accusing 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 justified because we are forced to fund 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, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and halt fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers rallied behind 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 press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will not be questioned again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and resources that are core to our national security." He branded 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 significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood 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 criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's decision not to consult with legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to abide by the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "disclose" particulars of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with no American casualties and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most astonishing, successful and impressive demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his legacy on that victory enduring, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in turmoil for years while calming a region that is sure to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
In the wake of executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the state-building arena. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US forces had effectively seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the beleaguered nation. "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, orderly and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "governing the state" involves is unclear, but the commitment marks an abrupt shift in direction for the president, laden with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who ran on opposing "endless conflicts", 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 effectively reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to enlist American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, providing capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding 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 informed reporters. Trump, a vocal opponent 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: "If you break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's destiny – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago promising 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 authorized air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike previous operations, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are strikingly different. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra may be difficult for some of Trump's backers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who split from the president after accusing 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 justified because we are forced to fund 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, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and halt fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers rallied behind 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 press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will not be questioned again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and resources that are core to our national security." He branded 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 significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood 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 criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's decision not to consult with legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to abide by the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "disclose" particulars of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with no American casualties and limited harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most astonishing, successful and impressive demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his legacy on that victory enduring, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in turmoil for years while calming a region that is sure to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.