Why Trump’s Actions in Venezuela are Entirely Consistent with his America First Foreign Policy

The debate over what an America first foreign policy that seeks to no longer entangle the US in endless wars or failed regime change efforts has heated up significantly in the last year. Trump’s first term was largely spent winding down previously started foreign conflicts, such as Afghanistan, and taking more limited actions, such as arming Ukraine against Russia. The 47th President has been bolder in his second term, though. Trump, in his first year in office, has already both bombed Iran and now toppled the vile socialist dictatorship of Maduro in Venezuela.

The arguments against Trump’s recent actions against Maduro are misplaced. While the President’s increasing willingness to use military force and his decision to engage in regime change in Venezuela have created more tension in the MAGA base over what exactly the role of the US should be, Trump’s recent actions are entirely consistent with his America First foreign policy. The key distinction between the regime change efforts engaged in by prior administrations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the President’s recent action taken in Venezuela, is that Trump’s move to replace Maduro is an action that, at its core, is defensive. Russia and China were both gaining a foothold in this country, as well as in South America, where China in particular covets control of needed minerals and resources. Preventing the Chinese from having a significant economic and military presence in this region is a clear and vital US national security interest. While Bush invaded Iraq and Afghanistan largely to control resources and assert American power abroad, Trump’s actions were largely focused on keeping the US’s enemies from getting stronger in our hemisphere.

Another key distinction between Trump’s decision to remove Maduro, a mafia thug masquerading as a leader, is the very limited risk of the US being involved in a deadly and costly long-term conflict. Venezuela has almost no military, and Maduro was not even popular in the country. The nation also has no history of successful guerrilla warfare against foreign governments, unlike the case in Afghanistan. Trump has also put a very limited number of US troops on the ground and has already stated his intention to hold elections in the country. There is zero evidence that the 47th President is planning the kind of long-term occupation seen with Bush in Iraq.

The world is a global place, and while the failed policy of regime change supported by both parties for decades obviously needed to be eliminated, the notion that the US should never seek to remove any government, no matter what the circumstances are, is both ahistorical and absurd. America has a long history dating back to the Monroe Doctrine of successfully taking limited military actions to eliminate leaders who are threats to the US. Again, the key distinction is between removing vile dictators, such as Maduro, who are a direct threat to US national security, with a clear entry and exit plan, as opposed to seeking to topple governments around the world simply to expand American power with no clear strategy or effective planning. As Colin Powell famously said about Vietnam, you break you, you bought it, and the US should not be overthrowing governments that are not a national security threat with no clear succession plan.

Despite what some detractors of Trump have said, the President was never an isolationist. Trump’s actions in Iran were also defensive ones, obviously focused on preventing Iran from becoming a larger threat to the US or our allies, and his decision to get out of the pathetic Iran deal Obama negotiated made some form of military action against the Iranian regime all but inevitable. Indeed, America First is about making sure that the foreign policy of this country puts the interests of our citizens first. This is no longer a world where the past ideas of isolationism advocated by those such as Robert Taft would work. While Trump is making sure that the interests of the American people are being prioritized over the goals of Europe or the financial priorities of the defense industry, military action is obviously still required at times, and the 47th President’s actions in Venezuela are completely consistent with his successful America First foreign policy.