🔗 Share this article The Venezuelan Crisis Could Now Determine Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Position in the Global Order Following executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building business. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US military forces had effectively apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a team featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the embattled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" actually means is uncertain, but the vow signifies an dramatic shift in direction for the president, laden with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who campaigned against "endless conflicts", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who promised to implement an "America first" international policy is now betting his presidency on successfully reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose governmental stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was relentlessly confident. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, supplying funds for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he informed reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to heed the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's future – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is more than willing to use military force internationally. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to past actions, which have mostly involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His goal, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan could be difficult for some of Trump's followers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after accusing him of deserting his political base, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's perpetual military aggression and support of overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to pay for 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 legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president said the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be questioned again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and assets that are fundamental to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice 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 government released a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their illegal and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "America should not be administering other countries for any purpose," 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 catastrophic consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the legal duty to abide by the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First requires." Trump, in his remarks, said 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 mission was a triumph – with zero American casualties and minimal harm to US assets. Trump, with his typical confidence, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, successful and powerful demonstrations of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his legacy on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.
Following executing a evening of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building business. In a remarkable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the commander-in-chief announced that US military forces had effectively apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump then announced that a team featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control of the embattled nation. "We are going to manage the country until such time as we can do a secure, proper and careful transition," he said. What precisely "running the country" actually means is uncertain, but the vow signifies an dramatic shift in direction for the president, laden with contradictions and significant challenges. A president who campaigned against "endless conflicts", who sharply criticised past US attempts at overthrowing governments and who promised to implement an "America first" international policy is now betting his presidency on successfully reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose governmental stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule. Yet, Trump was relentlessly confident. He stated his administration has a "perfect track record of winning" – and that this will be no different. He pledged to enlist American energy companies to overhaul Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, supplying funds for the American rebuilding project and aiding the Venezuelan people. He declined to rule out deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he informed reporters. Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to heed the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "If you shatter it, you are responsible for it." A Shift in Foreign Policy The US has altered Venezuela's future – for better or worse. Trump entered office nearly a year ago promising to be a peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is more than willing to use military force internationally. In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq. In contrast to past actions, which have mostly involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his commitments to the future of that nation – are strikingly distinct. His goal, he said during his press conference, is to "make Venezuela great again." Response at Home and Abroad That play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - slogan could be difficult for some of Trump's followers to swallow. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who broke with the president after accusing him of deserting his political base, was quick to criticize the president's actions on social media. "Americans' disgust with our own government's perpetual military aggression and support of overseas conflicts is understandable because we are compelled to pay for 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 legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on weapons and drug trafficking charges – with Trump's reasoning that the operation was to reclaim confiscated US oil and stop fentanyl production. The majority of Republican lawmakers supported the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson describing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and justified". Strategic Justifications and Global Implications During his appearance, the president said the Venezuelan operation furthered his "America First" agenda because it guaranteed US hemispheric security and provided a steady source of oil. He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be free from influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Donroe Doctrine." The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "US supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will not be questioned again." The goal of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and assets that are fundamental to our security interests." He branded the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard." Trump's choice 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 government released a statement voicing shock and denouncing what it said was a reckless assault on a independent country. During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia after its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has frequently appeared to be leaning to the Russian side. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican congressman, voiced concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send. "My main concern is now Russia will use this to excuse their illegal and brutal military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an attack of Taiwan." Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions Trump's Democratic opponents were more direct. "America should not be administering other countries for any purpose," 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 catastrophic consequences for Americans." Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of rights violations. But he censured Trump's choice not to consult with legislative leaders prior to launching the attack. "Donald Trump has the legal duty to abide by the law and protect democratic norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First requires." Trump, in his remarks, said 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 mission was a triumph – with zero American casualties and minimal harm to US assets. Trump, with his typical confidence, portrayed the operation as a "daring raid" and "one of the most stunning, successful and powerful demonstrations of American military might and proficiency in US history." Now he is staking his legacy on that victory continuing, as the US says it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unclear. He and his administration must rebuild a nation that has been in turmoil for decades while stabilising a region that is bound to be apprehensive of what Trump's international strategy has planned for them.