🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis Could Now Determine President Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Role in the Global Order Following launching a night of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the state-building business. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the troubled nation. "We are going to administer the country until such time as we can do a secure, orderly and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" actually means is uncertain, but the vow represents an sudden change of course for the president, laden with inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who vowed to implement an "America first" international policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economic system is in shambles and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was relentlessly confident. He claimed his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to recruit American energy companies to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, supplying financing for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out sending American soldiers to Venezuela to progress 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 heed the words of one of the American planners 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 altered Venezuela's destiny – whether for good or ill. Trump came to power nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has demonstrated that he is more than willing to use armed force around the globe. In the past week, he authorized air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved missiles and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the future of that nation – are strikingly different. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Response at Home and Abroad That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan may be tough for some of Trump's supporters to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of deserting his core supporters, was swift to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's endless military aggression and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric 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 free from influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Donroe 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 national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and resources that are central to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke broader questions in global politics, however, and impact American ties with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese government released a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be running 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 endless wars and regime change missions that carry catastrophic consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders prior to launching the attack. "The President has the legal duty to follow the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his press conference, said that he opted not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a triumph – with no American casualties and minimal damage to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, successful and impressive displays of American power and competency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over 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 years while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be wary 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 state-building business. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the troubled nation. "We are going to administer the country until such time as we can do a secure, orderly and judicious transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" actually means is uncertain, but the vow represents an sudden change of course for the president, laden with inconsistencies and significant obstacles. A leader who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who vowed to implement an "America first" international policy is now staking his administration on successfully rebuilding a South American nation whose economic system is in shambles and whose governmental stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was relentlessly confident. He claimed his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He vowed to recruit American energy companies to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, supplying financing for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out sending American soldiers to Venezuela to progress 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 heed the words of one of the American planners 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 altered Venezuela's destiny – whether for good or ill. Trump came to power nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has demonstrated that he is more than willing to use armed force around the globe. In the past week, he authorized air strikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved missiles and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the future of that nation – are strikingly different. His aim, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Response at Home and Abroad That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan may be tough for some of Trump's supporters to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of deserting his core supporters, was swift to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's endless military aggression and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." Another notable Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric 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 free from influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Donroe 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 national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and resources that are central to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke broader questions in global politics, however, and impact American ties with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese government released a statement expressing shock and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be running 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 endless wars and regime change missions that carry catastrophic consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders prior to launching the attack. "The President has the legal duty to follow the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his press conference, said that he opted not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation before the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a triumph – with no American casualties and minimal damage to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, successful and impressive displays of American power and competency in US history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory enduring, as the US claims it will take over 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 years while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.