🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis May Now Determine Trump's Legacy - and America's Place in the Global Order Following launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building arena. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation comprising 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 secure, orderly and careful transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" entails is ambiguous, but the pledge marks an dramatic shift in direction for the president, rife with contradictions and significant obstacles. A leader who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at overthrowing governments and who vowed to implement an "America First" international policy is now gambling his administration on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in ruins and whose political stability has been eroded by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. 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 rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, providing capital 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 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 planners of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you break it, you own it." An Altered International Stance The US has reshaped Venezuela's destiny – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, 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 nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have largely involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the risk of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are markedly different. His goal, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Reactions from Allies and Critics That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra could be hard for some of Trump's backers to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's perpetual use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "protect trade, land and assets that are fundamental to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will provoke broader questions in global politics, however, and impact American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has often appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the signal Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were sharper. "The United States should not be running other countries for any purpose," 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 consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a autocrat with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to abide by the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, said that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a success – with zero American casualties and limited harm to US assets. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and competency in American history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that actually means is unknown. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has in store for them.
Following launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building arena. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then announced that a delegation comprising 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 secure, orderly and careful transition," he said. What precisely "managing the nation" entails is ambiguous, but the pledge marks an dramatic shift in direction for the president, rife with contradictions and significant obstacles. A leader who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at overthrowing governments and who vowed to implement an "America First" international policy is now gambling his administration on successfully revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in ruins and whose political stability has been eroded by decades of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was persistently confident. 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 rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, providing capital 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 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 planners of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you break it, you own it." An Altered International Stance The US has reshaped Venezuela's destiny – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, 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 nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have largely involved missiles and aircraft that minimize the risk of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are markedly different. His goal, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Reactions from Allies and Critics That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra could be hard for some of Trump's backers to digest. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump ally who split from the president after accusing him of abandoning his core supporters, was quick to condemn the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's perpetual use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to retake seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "criminal regime" as "firm and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He resurrected the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "protect trade, land and assets that are fundamental to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will provoke broader questions in global politics, however, and impact American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has often appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the signal Trump's actions might send. "My primary worry is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric operations against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were sharper. "The United States should not be running other countries for any purpose," 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 consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a criminal and a autocrat with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to abide by the law and uphold institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands." Trump, in his remarks, said that he chose not to inform Congress because he was concerned they would "disclose" particulars of the operation prior to the attack. An Uncertain Future That military operation was a success – with zero American casualties and limited harm to US assets. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, described the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, effective and impressive demonstrations of American power and competency in American history." Now he is betting his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that actually means is unknown. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has in store for them.