🔗 Share this article Venezuela Is Poised to Shape Trump's Legacy - and America's Place in the Global Order Following launching a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the nation-building business. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a team comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be seizing the reins of the troubled 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 "running the country" actually means is unclear, but the commitment marks an sudden change of course for the president, rife with contradictions and daunting challenges. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US attempts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now gambling his administration on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in shambles and whose political stability has been eroded by decades 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 recruit American oil firms to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production 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 further these efforts. "We do not fear 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 remember the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, 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 ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past operations, which have mostly involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the future of that nation – are notably different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan might prove tough for some of Trump's backers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with 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 endless use of force and support of foreign wars is justified because we are compelled to fund it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He revived 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 "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, territory and assets that are core to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke larger concerns in global politics, however, and impact American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has frequently seemed to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, expressed worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be managing other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts 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 condemned Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the legal duty 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, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "leak" details of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That mission was a success – with no American deaths and minimal harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and impressive displays of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his legacy on that success enduring, as the US says it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for decades while stabilising a region that is sure to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.
Following launching a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be entering the nation-building business. In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief declared that US forces had effectively apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas. Trump then said that a team comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be seizing the reins of the troubled 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 "running the country" actually means is unclear, but the commitment marks an sudden change of course for the president, rife with contradictions and daunting challenges. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US attempts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now gambling his administration on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economic system is in shambles and whose political stability has been eroded by decades 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 recruit American oil firms to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling production 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 further these efforts. "We do not fear 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 remember the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you break it, you own it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has redefined Venezuela's prospects – for better or worse. Trump came to power nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, 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 ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past operations, which have mostly involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the future of that nation – are notably different. His objective, he said during his press conference, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Domestic and International Reaction That variation of Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan might prove tough for some of Trump's backers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with 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 endless use of force and support of foreign wars is justified because we are compelled to fund it," she stated. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." Another prominent Trump detractor, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and halt fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and legitimate". Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences During his press conference, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" priorities because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil. He revived 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 "Trump Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard commerce, territory and assets that are core to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro will provoke larger concerns in global politics, however, and impact American relations with the world's other significant military powers. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible attack on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable censures of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has frequently seemed to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, expressed worry about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic critics were blunter. "America should not be managing other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get involved in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts 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 condemned Trump's decision not to inform legislative leaders prior to initiating the attack. "Donald Trump has the legal duty 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, explained that he chose not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "leak" details of the operation prior to the attack. A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt That mission was a success – with no American deaths and minimal harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "among the most astonishing, successful and impressive displays of American power and proficiency in US history." Now he is gambling his legacy on that success enduring, as the US says it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that truly entails is unclear. He and his administration must fortify a nation that has been in chaos for decades while stabilising a region that is sure to be apprehensive of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.