🔗 Share this article Venezuela Is Poised to Determine Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Role in the Global Order In the wake of executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the nation-building arena. In a remarkable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort 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 team 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 run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" involves is uncertain, but the pledge represents an abrupt change of course for the president, rife with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now staking his administration on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose political stability has been eroded by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, providing capital for the American reconstruction efforts and benefitting the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We do not fear 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 remember the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Changed Global Approach The US has reshaped Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force worldwide. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, suspected narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to previous actions, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are notably distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan might prove difficult for some of Trump's supporters to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who broke with the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's endless military aggression and backing for foreign wars is understandable because we are forced to finance it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "decisive and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The goal of the new US security policy, 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 choice to capture Maduro will raise larger questions in global politics, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese government issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible assault on a independent country. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting 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, expressed worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their illegal and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "The United States should not be managing other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a lawbreaker and a autocrat with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's choice not to inform congressional leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility 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 worried they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a triumph – with zero American casualties and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, portrayed the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most astonishing, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his legacy on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unknown. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for years while stabilising a hemisphere that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.
In the wake of executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the nation-building arena. In a remarkable media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort 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 team 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 run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" involves is uncertain, but the pledge represents an abrupt change of course for the president, rife with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now staking his administration on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose political stability has been eroded by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no exception. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, providing capital for the American reconstruction efforts and benefitting the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We do not fear 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 remember the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Changed Global Approach The US has reshaped Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force worldwide. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, suspected narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to previous actions, which have largely involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are notably distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan might prove difficult for some of Trump's supporters to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who broke with the president after charging him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's endless military aggression and backing for foreign wars is understandable because we are forced to finance it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "decisive and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The goal of the new US security policy, 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 choice to capture Maduro will raise larger questions in global politics, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major military powers. The Chinese government issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible assault on a independent country. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting 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, expressed worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their illegal and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "The United States should not be managing other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a lawbreaker and a autocrat with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's choice not to inform congressional leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility 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 worried they would "disclose" details of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a triumph – with zero American casualties and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, portrayed the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most astonishing, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is betting his legacy on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unknown. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for years while stabilising a hemisphere that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.