Trump’s military raid in Venezuela draws criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, testing his “America First” foreign policy stance
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump celebrated a US military operation in Venezuela on Saturday but faces significant political risks at home for abandoning his long-held non-interventionist stance.
Special forces conducted a complex assault in Caracas to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, employing helicopters, jets, and Navy ships without a single US casualty.
Trump has consistently railed against US foreign entanglements, once calling the Iraq invasion “a stupid thing” as a core tenet of his MAGA ideology.
Democratic leaders swiftly condemned the operation, with Senator Chuck Schumer labelling it “reckless.”
“Second unjustified war in my life time. This war is illegal,” said Senator Ruben Gallego, an Iraq veteran. “There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”
Many Republicans publicly applauded the move, with White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre posting celebratory social media messages early Saturday.
“I commend President Trump and our brave troops and law-enforcement officers for this incredible operation,” said Senator Tom Cotton.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the action’s legality, stating it was “a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives.”
Johnson indicated Congress would not rush to debate, with Trump administration briefings scheduled only for the following week.
Some Republicans expressed immediate concern, however, with conservative Senator Mike Lee initially questioning the constitutional justification.
Lee later said he was reassured after speaking with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that arresting Maduro “likely falls within the president’s inherent authority.”
MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene offered harsh criticism, challenging Trump’s narcotics trafficking justification for the intervention.
Most fentanyl enters the US via Mexico, she noted, asking “why hasn’t the Trump admin taken action against Mexican cartels?”
Greene questioned how Trump’s regime change in Venezuela differed from Russian or Chinese aggression against Ukraine or Taiwan.
“Disgust with foreign interventions, spending abroad instead of at home, and neocon wars—this is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end,” she wrote. “Boy were we wrong.”
