🔗 Share this article Venezuela Could Now Define Trump's Legacy - as well as America's Role in the World Following launching a night of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the nation-building arena. In a striking media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president announced that US military forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group including 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, proper and careful transition," he said. What exactly "governing the state" entails is ambiguous, but the pledge represents an sudden shift in direction for the president, laden with inconsistencies and significant challenges. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He claimed his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He promised to enlist American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of sending American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We do not fear 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 heed 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 destiny – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago promising to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has shown that he is quite prepared to use armed force around the globe. 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, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous operations, which have mostly involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are markedly distinct. His goal, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan could be tough for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his core supporters, was swift to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's perpetual use of force and support of foreign wars is understandable because we are forced to fund it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, territory and assets that are central to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise larger concerns in global politics, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered similar condemnations of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood by now not to get involved in endless wars 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 human rights abuses. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to follow the law and protect institutional 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 worried they would "leak" particulars of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a success – with no American deaths and minimal damage to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and impressive displays of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must rebuild a nation that has been in chaos for decades while stabilising a region that is sure to be cautious of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
Following launching a night of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the nation-building arena. In a striking media briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president announced that US military forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group including 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, proper and careful transition," he said. What exactly "governing the state" entails is ambiguous, but the pledge represents an sudden shift in direction for the president, laden with inconsistencies and significant challenges. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose political stability has been undermined by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. He claimed his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He promised to enlist American oil firms to repair Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of sending American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We do not fear 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 heed 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 destiny – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago promising to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has shown that he is quite prepared to use armed force around the globe. 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, insurgent groups in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike previous operations, which have mostly involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the risk of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are markedly distinct. His goal, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan could be tough for some of Trump's backers to accept. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his core supporters, was swift to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's perpetual use of force and support of foreign wars is understandable because we are forced to fund it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, contrasted the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, territory and assets that are central to our national security." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise larger concerns in global politics, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered similar condemnations of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "The United States should not be administering other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have understood by now not to get involved in endless wars 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 human rights abuses. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "The President has the legal duty to follow the law and protect institutional 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 worried they would "leak" particulars of the operation before the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a success – with no American deaths and minimal damage to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and impressive displays of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must rebuild a nation that has been in chaos for decades while stabilising a region that is sure to be cautious of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.