Trump's Trials - 7 takeaways from Trump's incursion into Venezuela

Episode Date: January 5, 2026

Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You're listening to Trump's Terms from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow. We're under invasion from within. If you're not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will. We all serve at the pleasure of the president. The golden age of America is upon us. We are in the golden age. Every episode of Trump's terms, we bring you NPR's latest coverage of the 47th president.

With a focus on actions and policies he is pursuing on his own terms and in the process, taking the presidency into uncharted territory. Today's story starts right after this. I'm Steven Scape. This is NPR News. What are the domestic political effects of the U.S. action abroad in Venezuela? NPR's senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro is here. Domenico, good morning. Hey, good morning, Steve.

How are Americans responding? Well, it's been really mixed. You know, partisans have gone to their corners, as you'd expect. Democrats have been talking about the legality of the move going around Congress and the breaking of international norms. independents who caucus with Democrats like Angus King of Maine, Senator, have warned that the precedent that it might set for other countries like Russia, China, or North Korea might not be a really good one. And that was echoed by some moderate Republicans like Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska.

He praised the military but had some concern about what it might mean going forward. And there were usual GOP critics of Trump who came out against this. But most Republicans have rallied around the president. Even though most Republicans have been echoing Trump's promise to end foreign wars. Right, of course, that idea of America first. You know, there are lots of times that Trump has spoken out against this kind of action warning about what comes next. And it's certainly the critique from people like Marjorie Taylor Green, whose last day in Congress happens to be today. But Trump also talked about, quote, taking the oil from countries like Iraq. And he certainly stressed oil as a motivator during his press conference Saturday for what he did in Venezuela. His administration is also, of course, saying drugs are a main reason. that Maduro was indicted in 2020 for trafficking and that this was, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, a law enforcement action, basically retrieving a fugitive. And those are all ways that right-wing media certainly has been selling this to their viewers. Oh, tell me a little bit more about conservative media.

I mean, the spin started right away. On Fox News, for example, in the immediate hours after the operation, they were holding up Democrats' arguments that the move is illegal as something to really mock and knock down. They focused instead on how few in Venezuela appeared to be defending Maduro, as well as talking about the 2020 indictment against him laying out those charges of drug trafficking. One network legal analyst said that this action shows essentially that the long arm of American justice doesn't end at U.S. borders. I'd expect that that's going to be the kind of message that filters down to rank and foul Republican voters if it hasn't already. You know, Republicans were already tilting in favor of action against Venezuela. In a Quinnipiac poll last month, 52% of Republicans said that they were in favor of action in Venezuela compared to 68% of independence and 9 and 10 Democrats who were against it. Well, there is this longstanding idea in this country of disregarding the law and just do what you think is appropriate, which is one way to view the action in Venezuela, I guess.

But does this ultimately help the president politically? You know, we'll see, but views of the president right now are not good. I mean, he's been at his lowest point politically of this presidency with approval ratings in the 30s. You know, what this did for him was change the subject. But what comes next is going to be key. You know, in Air Force One last night, Trump and hawkish allies like South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham were taking something of a victory lap, even talking about how Cuba might be ready to fall next. And Trump was again entertaining the idea that Greenland is a place that the U.S. needs.

The U.S. running Venezuela and getting bogged down there. You know, as Trump suggested on Saturday about the U.S. possibly running Venezuela is not going to be something likely that most Americans are in favor of or recreating the entire Western hemisphere in the U.S. image. You know, when voters here are saying that the cost of living is key and most important to them, it's why Trump's approval is as low as it is, Democrats are going to have a messaging challenge, too, in trying to be able to pivot to say that they criticize his action here, but then going back to affordability as well. NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Thanks so much, sir. You're so welcome. Before we wrap up a reminder, you can find more coverage of the Trump administration on the NPR Politics Podcast, where you can hear NPR's political reporters break down the day's biggest political news

with new episodes every weekday afternoon. And thanks, as always, to our NPR Plus supporters who hear every episode of the show without sponsor messages. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's terms from NPR.