The Venezuelan Crisis May Now Define President Trump's Legacy - and the United States' Position in the Global Order

In the wake of executing a night of shock and awe in Venezuela, Donald Trump now appears to be entering the state-building business.

In a notable news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday morning, the president stated that US forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid in Caracas.

Trump then indicated that a group comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, working with Venezuelans, would be assuming control 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 exactly "running the country" involves is ambiguous, but the commitment signifies an sudden shift in direction for the president, full of contradictions and formidable obstacles.

A leader who ran on opposing "forever wars", who vehemently denounced past US efforts at regime change and who promised to implement an "America first" international policy is now gambling his presidency on successfully reconstructing a South American nation whose economy is in shambles and whose political stability has been undermined by decades of authoritarian rule.

Yet, Trump was persistently upbeat.

He said his administration has a "unblemished record of winning" – and that this would be no exception. He vowed to recruit American oil firms to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling industrial infrastructure, providing funds for the American reconstruction efforts and aiding the Venezuelan people.

He did not exclude deploying American soldiers to Venezuela to progress these efforts. "We do not fear boots on the ground…we had boots on the ground last night," he told reporters.

Trump, a sharp critic of the US intervention of Iraq, will now have to consider the words of one of the American planners 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 – whether for good or ill.

Trump took office nearly a year ago pledging to be a diplomat, but over the past year he has proven that he is quite prepared to use armed force internationally.

In the past week, he authorized airstrikes on Syria and Nigeria. In 2025, he struck atomic sites in Iran, suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, insurgent groups in Yemen, armed groups in Somalia and jihadist fighters in Iraq.

In contrast to previous operations, which have mostly involved rockets and warplanes that reduce the exposure of American forces to harm, Trump's Venezuela strike – and his pledges to the future of that nation – are markedly distinct.

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

Domestic and International Reaction

That twist on Trump's "Make America Great Again" – or Maga - mantra might prove tough for some of Trump's backers to swallow.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who broke with the president after accusing him of deserting his political base, was swift to criticize the president's actions on social media.

"Public outrage with our own government's endless use of force and backing for overseas conflicts is understandable because we are forced to pay for it," she wrote. "This is what many in Maga thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong."

Another prominent Trump critic, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, compared the legal justification for Maduro's arrest – on arms and cocaine trafficking charges – with Trump's explanation that the operation was to reclaim seized US oil and halt fentanyl production.

The majority of Republican lawmakers stood by the president, with House Speaker Mike Johnson characterizing the armed intervention against a "illegitimate government" as "firm and legitimate".

Strategic Justifications and Global Implications

During his appearance, the president said the Venezuelan operation advanced his "America First" agenda because it ensured US hemispheric security and provided a reliable source of oil.

He dusted off the Monroe Doctrine – an nineteenth-century American foreign policy that declared the Western Hemisphere should be without influence by European powers – and rebranded it the "Trump Doctrine."

The move in Venezuela, Trump said, shows that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will not be challenged again."

The purpose of the new US security policy, he said, was to "safeguard trade, territory and resources that are central to our security interests." He labeled the Western Hemisphere as America's "backyard."

Trump's decision to capture Maduro will provoke larger questions in international relations, however, and impact American ties with the world's other significant military powers.

The Chinese government released a statement voicing surprise and condemning what it said was a irresponsible attack on a sovereign nation.

During the Biden administration, the US offered comparable condemnations of Russia following its incursion of Ukraine. Now the Trump administration is attempting to broker a peace deal between those two nations – one that has often seemed to be leaning to the Russian side.

Don Bacon, a centrist Republican congressman, expressed concern about the precedent Trump's actions might send.

"My primary concern is now Russia will use this to justify their unlawful and barbaric operations against Ukraine, or China to rationalize an attack of Taiwan."

Political Criticism and Constitutional Questions

Trump's Democratic critics were more direct.

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

Another senior Democratic lawmaker stated Maduro is a lawbreaker and a autocrat with a record of rights violations. But he condemned Trump's decision not to consult with legislative leaders before initiating the attack.

"Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to abide by the law and protect institutional norms in the United States," he said. "That is what placing America First demands."

Trump, in his press conference, said that he chose not to inform Congress because he was worried they would "disclose" details of the operation prior to the attack.

A Path Forward Shrouded in Doubt

That military operation was a success – with no American casualties and limited damage to US assets. Trump, with his typical bravado, portrayed the operation as a "spectacular assault" and "among the most stunning, successful and impressive demonstrations of American power and proficiency in US history."

Now he is betting his presidency on that success continuing, as the US claims it will assume responsibility for running and rebuilding Venezuela - though what that actually means remains unknown. He and his team must strengthen a nation that has been in chaos for years while stabilising a region that is bound to be cautious of what Trump's foreign policy has in store for them.