🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis Is Poised to Shape Trump's Political Legacy - as well as America's Position in the Global Order In the wake of launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the nation-building business. In a striking press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US military forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a delegation comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be seizing the reins 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 exactly "running the country" actually means is ambiguous, but the commitment marks an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America first" foreign policy is now betting his presidency on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in ruins and whose political stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of 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 sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, will now have to heed the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Changed Global Approach The US has altered Venezuela's destiny – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is ready to use military force around the globe. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to past operations, which have largely involved missiles and warplanes that minimize the risk of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are notably different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That variation of Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - slogan may 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 deserting his core supporters, was swift to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's endless 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. Boy were we wrong." Another notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "criminal regime" as "firm and justified". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived 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 action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and assets that are central to our national security." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "sphere of influence." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise broader concerns in international relations, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, expressed concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "America should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have learned by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry catastrophic results 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 congressional leaders before launching the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect institutional 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 concerned they would "leak" details of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with no American casualties and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, described the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, successful and impressive demonstrations of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his legacy on that success enduring, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
In the wake of launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be getting into the nation-building business. In a striking press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US military forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then indicated that a delegation comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, collaborating with Venezuelans, would be seizing the reins 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 exactly "running the country" actually means is ambiguous, but the commitment marks an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who campaigned against "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America first" foreign policy is now betting his presidency on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in ruins and whose political stability has been eroded by years of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was unwaveringly upbeat. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this would be no different. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's deteriorating industrial infrastructure, supplying capital for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of 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 sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, will now have to heed the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "You break it, you bought it." A Changed Global Approach The US has altered Venezuela's destiny – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago pledging to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is ready to use military force around the globe. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to past operations, which have largely involved missiles and warplanes that minimize the risk of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are notably different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That variation of Trump's "MAGA" – or Maga - slogan may 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 deserting his core supporters, was swift to denounce the president's actions on social media. "Public outrage with our own government's endless 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. Boy were we wrong." Another notable Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the official rationale for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "criminal regime" as "firm and justified". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He revived 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 action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and assets that are central to our national security." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "sphere of influence." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise broader concerns in international relations, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, expressed concern about the message Trump's actions might send. "My primary concern is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter. "America should not be administering other countries for any reason," said a senator who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. "We should have learned by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and regime change missions that carry catastrophic results 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 congressional leaders before launching the attack. "The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect institutional 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 concerned they would "leak" details of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That military operation was a success – with no American casualties and minimal damage to US equipment. Trump, with his typical confidence, described the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, successful and impressive demonstrations of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his legacy on that success enduring, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.