The attack on Venezuela represents a U-turn for Trump – and it could now determine his legacy

Trump has not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela to advance these efforts. “We are not afraid to send ground troops…we already sent them yesterday,” he said.

Trump, a vocal critic of the US invasion of Iraq, will now have to heed the words of one of the architects of the Iraq War, former Secretary of State Colin Powell (who died last year): “If you break it, you pay.”

The United States has reshaped Venezuela’s future – for better or worse.

Trump took office almost a year ago promising to be a peacemaker, but over time he has proven more than willing to use military force around the world.

Last week he ordered airstrikes in Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, it targeted nuclear facilities in Iran, suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean, rebel forces in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and Islamist militants in Iraq.

Unlike those previous actions — which largely involved missiles and aircraft, thereby reducing U.S. forces’ exposure to risk — Trump’s attack on Venezuela, as well as his commitments to the country’s future, are clearly distinct.

His goal, he said during the press conference, is to “make Venezuela great again.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former staunch Trump ally who broke with the president after accusing him of abandoning his political base, was quick to condemn the action on social media.

“Americans’ rejection of our own government’s endless military aggression and support for foreign wars is justified because we are obligated to pay for it, and both parties, Republicans and Democrats, still keep Washington’s military machine funded and operating,” he wrote. “This is what many in Maga thought we voted to end. We were wrong.”

Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky, compared the legal justification for Maduro’s arrest — on gun and cocaine trafficking charges — with Trump’s explanation that the operation was aimed at recovering confiscated U.S. oil and stopping fentanyl production.

Most Republican lawmakers sided with the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the military action against a “criminal regime” “decisive and justified.”

During the press conference, the president said the Venezuela operation advances his “America First” priorities because it ensures U.S. regional security and provides a stable source of oil.

He revived the Monroe Doctrine – an early 19th century American foreign policy that asserted that the Western Hemisphere should be free of the influence of European powers – and renamed it the “Donroe Doctrine.”

The action in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never again be questioned.”

The goal of the new U.S. national security strategy, he said, is to “protect the commerce, territory and resources that are at the heart of our national security.” He classified the Western Hemisphere as the “home region” of the United States.

Trump’s decision to capture Maduro, however, raises broader concerns about global politics and relations between the United States and the world’s other major military powers.

China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing shock and condemning what it called a reckless attack on a sovereign nation.

Under the Biden administration, the United States issued similar condemnations of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between the two countries – an effort that often appears more favorable to the Russian side.

Don Bacon, a centrist Republican lawmaker who will retire at the end of this year, said he was concerned about the message Trump’s actions might send.

“My main concern is that Russia will now use this to justify its illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or that China will use this to justify an invasion of Taiwan.”

Democratic criticism of Trump has been more direct.

“The United States should not rule other countries in any way,” said Brian Schatz of Hawaii, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We should have learned by now not to engage in endless wars and regime change missions that would have catastrophic consequences for Americans.”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who could become House speaker if Democrats regain control of the House after November’s midterm legislative elections, said Maduro was a criminal and dictator with a history of human rights abuses. He nevertheless condemned Trump’s decision not to consult legislative leaders before launching the attack.

“Donald Trump has a constitutional responsibility to uphold the law and protect democratic norms in the United States,” he said. “That’s what putting America first demands.”

Trump said during the news conference that he chose not to inform Congress because he feared lawmakers would “leak” details of the operation before the attack.

The military operation was considered a success – with no American deaths and limited damage to American equipment. Trump, with his usual bravado, described the action as a “spectacular attack” and “one of the most impressive, effective and powerful demonstrations of American military strength and competence in United States history.”

Now he is betting that his presidency will continue on this path, while the United States says it will take over the administration and reconstruction of Venezuela – although it is still unclear exactly what that means in practice. Trump and his team will have to support a country that has been in turmoil for decades, while trying to stabilize a region that will be closely watching what Trump’s foreign policy has in store.