The Venezuelan Crisis Is Poised to Define Trump's Political Legacy - and the United States' Position in the Global Order

In the wake of launching a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump seems to be getting into the state-building arena.

In a striking news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president announced that US military forces had effectively apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an late-night operation in Caracas.

Trump then announced 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 beleaguered nation.

"We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and careful transition," he said.

What precisely "running the country" actually means is uncertain, but the vow marks an abrupt shift in direction for the president, rife with inconsistencies and formidable challenges.

A leader who ran on opposing "endless conflicts", who sharply criticised past US efforts at regime change and who vowed to implement an "America First" foreign policy is now gambling his administration on successfully reconstructing a South American nation whose economic system is collapsed and whose political stability has been undermined by years of authoritarian rule.

Yet, Trump was persistently upbeat.

He stated his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no exception. He pledged to enlist American oil firms to repair Venezuela's crumbling production infrastructure, providing funds for the American rebuilding project and benefitting the Venezuelan people.

He did not exclude sending 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 told 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 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 peacemaker, but over the past year he has proven that he is more than willing to use armed force around the globe.

In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck nuclear facilities in Iran, alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, militias in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq.

In contrast to previous actions, which have largely involved missiles and aircraft that reduce the risk of American forces to danger, Trump's Venezuela operation – and his pledges to the fate of that nation – are strikingly distinct.

His objective, he said during his briefing, is to "make Venezuela great again."

Response at Home and Abroad

That twist on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove difficult for some of Trump's supporters to digest.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump loyalist who split from the president after accusing him of deserting his core supporters, was swift to condemn the president's actions on social media.

"Americans' disgust with our own government's never ending use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is justified because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. How mistaken we were."

Another prominent Trump critic, 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 retake seized US oil and halt fentanyl production.

The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the military action against a "illegitimate government" as "decisive and justified".

Policy Rationales and Worldwide Consequences

During his press conference, the president argued the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US regional security and provided a steady source of oil.

He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th Century American diplomatic policy that asserted 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 "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be challenged again."

The purpose of the new US national security strategy, he said, was to "protect trade, territory and assets that are central to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "home region."

Trump's choice to apprehend Maduro will raise larger questions in international relations, however, and affect American relations with the world's other major global powers.

The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement voicing surprise and denouncing what it said was a irresponsible assault on a independent country.

During the previous administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to mediate a ceasefire between those two nations – one that has often seemed 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 justify an invasion of Taiwan."

Opposition and Legal Scrutiny

Trump's Democratic opponents were blunter.

"The United States should not be running other countries for any purpose," said a senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. "We should have learned by now not to get entangled in perpetual conflicts and overthrow attempts that carry catastrophic consequences for Americans."

Another senior Democratic lawmaker said Maduro is a criminal and a dictator with a record of human rights abuses. But he censured Trump's choice not to inform legislative leaders prior to launching the attack.

"The President has the constitutional responsibility to follow 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 "disclose" particulars of the operation before the attack.

An Uncertain Future

That military operation was a success – with zero American deaths and minimal harm to US equipment. Trump, with his typical bravado, described the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, effective and powerful demonstrations of American military might and competency in US history."

Now he is staking his presidency on that victory continuing, as the US says it will take over running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means is unknown. He and his administration must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for decades while stabilising a hemisphere that is sure to be wary of what Trump's foreign policy has planned for them.