Venezuela May Redefine Trump's Legacy and America's Role on the Global Stage

By Anthony Zurcher | North America correspondent

After initiating a dramatic military operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump seems to be venturing into nation-building. In an extraordinary press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday morning, Trump revealed that US forces had successfully apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse in a covert night raid in Caracas. He mentioned that a team, comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in collaboration with Venezuelans, would oversee the governance of the troubled nation. "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump declared. The specifics of "running the country" remain ambiguous, yet this move signals a significant policy shift fraught with contradictions and challenges. Trump, who had campaigned against "forever wars" and critiqued past US regime change efforts, promoting an "America First" approach, is now committing to the reconstruction of a South American nation plagued by economic collapse and political unrest. Despite these contradictions, Trump exuded confidence, boasting of his administration's "perfect track record of winning" and promised similar success in Venezuela. He announced plans to involve American energy firms in rebuilding Venezuela's infrastructure, providing financial support for reconstruction while aiding Venezuelans. He also did not dismiss the potential deployment of American soldiers to further these goals. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he asserted. As a former critic of the Iraq War, Trump must now reflect on the words of an Iraq War architect, Colin Powell, "If you break it, you own it."

The US has now possibly reshaped Venezuela's future, with uncertain consequences. Although Trump initially entered office pledging peace, his willingness to deploy military force worldwide has become evident over the past year. Recent weeks saw him authorizing air strikes in Syria and Nigeria, with previous actions targeting various locations such as Iran, the Caribbean, Yemen, Somalia, and Iraq. Unlike prior operations involving mainly long-range attacks, the Venezuela mission marks a significant departure, raising the stakes. Trump's expressed intent is to "Make Venezuela great again"—an echo of his "Make America Great Again" slogan, which may alienate some of his supporters. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who once supported Trump but later accused him of neglecting his political base, quickly denounced his actions on X. "Americans' disgust with our own government's never-ending military aggression and support of foreign wars is justified," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong." In contrast, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky highlighted the discrepancy between the legal rationale for Maduro's arrest on weapons and drug trafficking charges and Trump's explanation, linking the operation to reclaiming confiscated US oil and curtailing fentanyl production. Most Republican lawmakers, however, stood by the president.