The United States executed a bold, surgical operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro — a decisive act that conservative Americans should view as the restoration of American resolve in our hemisphere. For over a decade Maduro’s regime trafficked drugs, crushed dissent and bled Venezuela dry while enriching allies of authoritarian regimes abroad; bringing him to justice is law enforcement and geopolitical common sense rolled into one. Where Democrats wring their hands and moan about protocols, ordinary Americans see what leadership looks like when it matters most.
Rep. Byron Donalds rightly framed the mission as a reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine — and he’s not wrong: America simply refused to cede the backyard to tyrants and narco-regimes while our southern border is assaulted with their poison. Conservatives should celebrate that we finally have a commander-in-chief willing to use American strength to protect American lives and interests. The media’s predictable chorus of pearl-clutching won’t change the fact that the operation neutralized a clear and present danger to the United States.
Left-wing politicians and their media allies immediately pivoted to theatrics, screaming about legality and “constitutional crises” while refusing to answer why decades of weak policy failed Venezuelans and flooded our streets with drugs. Their outrage is selective and performative; these are the same people who turned a blind eye when corrupt regimes enriched themselves at the expense of human life. This isn’t about partisanship — it’s about deciding whether America will protect its citizens and stand for liberty, or whether Washington will let tyrants operate with impunity.
President Trump’s blunt promise that the United States will “run” Venezuela until a safe transition can happen, and his call for American oil firms to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, is exactly the kind of pragmatic, results-oriented plan conservatives should demand. Reclaiming control of Venezuela’s resources and ensuring they aren’t used to bankroll drug trafficking or regional destabilization is smart policy and strong stewardship of American interests. Skeptics can wring their hands about precedent and lectures from dictatorships; hardworking Americans want security, prosperity, and accountability.
Unsurprisingly, global autocrats and anti-American regimes erupted in fury — China, Russia and their satellites screeched about sovereignty while praising Maduro’s abuses for years. Their indignation is proof positive that America struck at the right target; tyranny never applauds liberty. Conservatives should not be cowed by the howls of hostile powers who profit from chaos in Latin America and fear a hemisphere that looks to freedom instead of corruption.
Now is the moment for House Republicans to stand firm behind decisive leadership and for conservative lawmakers to back criminal accountability over geopolitical cowardice, not to cave to performative outrage. Rep. Donalds’ message to his colleagues and constituents was clear on Fox: this is what seriousness looks like in foreign policy, and the GOP must rally behind protecting America’s safety and interests. If Republicans want to be the party of national security and common-sense sovereignty, they should stop apologizing and start legislating to secure the gains this operation has delivered.
