🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis Could Now Define President Trump's Legacy - as well as the United States' Position in the World Following executing a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building arena. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief stated that US forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid 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 taking control 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" entails is unclear, but the commitment represents an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America First" international policy is now betting his administration on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose governmental stability has been undermined by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was relentlessly optimistic. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no exception. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, providing capital for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of sending 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 invasion 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 break it, you own it." An Altered International Stance The US has reshaped Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is more than willing to use armed force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are notably distinct. His objective, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Response at Home and Abroad That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove hard for some of Trump's followers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of deserting his political base, 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 overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." 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 explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and legitimate". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and resources that are core to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise broader questions in global politics, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese government issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless attack on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal operations against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic critics were more direct. "The United States should not be managing 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 endless wars and regime change missions that carry devastating 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 choice not to inform congressional leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his remarks, explained 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 mission was a triumph – with no American casualties and limited damage to US assets. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, described the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, effective and impressive displays of American military might and proficiency in American history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unclear. He and his team must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for decades while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be cautious of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.
Following executing a evening of overwhelming force in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building arena. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief stated that US forces had successfully seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid 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 taking control 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" entails is unclear, but the commitment represents an abrupt policy reversal for the president, full of contradictions and formidable obstacles. A president who ran on opposing "forever wars", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America First" international policy is now betting his administration on effectively revitalizing a South American nation whose economy is in ruins and whose governmental stability has been undermined by years of dictatorship. Yet, Trump was relentlessly optimistic. He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no exception. He promised to recruit American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's deteriorating production infrastructure, providing capital for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people. He left open the possibility of sending 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 invasion 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 break it, you own it." An Altered International Stance The US has reshaped Venezuela's prospects – whether for good or ill. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is more than willing to use armed force internationally. In the past week, he ordered airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he targeted atomic sites in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamic militants in Iraq. Unlike past actions, which have mostly involved rockets and aircraft that reduce the exposure of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the fate of that nation – are notably distinct. His objective, he said during his briefing, is to "restore Venezuela's greatness." Response at Home and Abroad That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove hard for some of Trump's followers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist who broke with the president after charging him of deserting his political base, 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 overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to finance it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were." 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 explanation that the operation was to retake confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and legitimate". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president argued the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US regional security and provided a reliable source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American foreign policy that asserted the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and renamed it the "Trump Doctrine." The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US preeminence in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, land and resources that are core to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice to capture Maduro will raise broader questions in global politics, however, and affect American ties with the world's other major global powers. The Chinese government issued a statement expressing surprise and condemning what it said was a reckless attack on a sovereign nation. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to mediate a peace deal between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be more favourable to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, expressed worry about the message Trump's actions might send. "My main worry is now Russia will use this to excuse their unlawful and brutal operations against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an invasion of Taiwan." Opposition and Legal Scrutiny Trump's Democratic critics were more direct. "The United States should not be managing 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 endless wars and regime change missions that carry devastating 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 choice not to inform congressional leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and uphold democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what putting America First requires." Trump, in his remarks, explained 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 mission was a triumph – with no American casualties and limited damage to US assets. Trump, with his characteristic bravado, described the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, effective and impressive displays of American military might and proficiency in American history." Now he is gambling his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will take over administering and reconstructing Venezuela - though what that truly entails remains unclear. He and his team must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for decades while calming a hemisphere that is bound to be cautious of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.