🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis May Now Determine President Trump's Legacy - and America's Position in the World In the wake of executing a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the state-building business. In a remarkable press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the president announced that US forces had successfully apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working 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 careful transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" entails is ambiguous, but the vow signifies an abrupt change of course for the president, full of contradictions and significant obstacles. A leader 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 staking his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose political stability has been eroded by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly optimistic. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He promised to enlist American energy companies to repair Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, supplying funds for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to consider 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." An Altered International Stance The US has altered Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force around the globe. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That play 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 broke with the president after charging him of deserting his core supporters, was quick to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's never ending military aggression and support of foreign wars is justified because we are forced to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another notable 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 seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign 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 "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "protect commerce, land and resources that are central to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise larger concerns in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible attack on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar censures of Russia following 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 leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "The United States should not be managing other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in endless wars and overthrow attempts that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a autocrat with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he opted not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "leak" 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 "spectacular assault" and "one of the most stunning, effective and powerful demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's international strategy has in store for them.
In the wake of executing a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the state-building business. In a remarkable press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the president announced that US forces had successfully apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a group comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working 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 careful transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" entails is ambiguous, but the vow signifies an abrupt change of course for the president, full of contradictions and significant obstacles. A leader 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 staking his presidency on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is collapsed and whose political stability has been eroded by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly optimistic. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He promised to enlist American energy companies to repair Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, supplying funds for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to advance these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to consider 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." An Altered International Stance The US has altered Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump took office nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use military force around the globe. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His aim, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That play 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 broke with the president after charging him of deserting his core supporters, was quick to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's never ending military aggression and support of foreign wars is justified because we are forced to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another notable 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 seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and warranted". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American foreign 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 "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "protect commerce, land and resources that are central to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise larger concerns in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other significant global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible attack on a sovereign nation. During the previous administration, the US offered similar censures of Russia following 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 leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, voiced worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were sharper. "The United States should not be managing other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have understood by now not to get entangled in endless wars and overthrow attempts that carry devastating results for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a autocrat with a record of human rights abuses. But he condemned Trump's choice not to consult with congressional leaders before initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, explained that he opted not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "leak" 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 "spectacular assault" and "one of the most stunning, effective and powerful demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's international strategy has in store for them.