On January 3, 2026, American forces carried out a bold, surgical operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to face justice in New York — a decisive outcome that underscored which nation still stands for law, order, and the protection of its people. After years of hollow rhetoric and failed sanctions, the United States acted where others only lectured, demonstrating that American resolve can still topple tyrants who traffic in drugs and misery.
Instead of celebrating the takedown of an actual dictator, leading Democrats rushed to denounce the operation as “reckless” and demanded procedural answers about congressional notification — a performance that reeked of politics over principle. Chuck Schumer flatly called the strikes “reckless,” and Hakeem Jeffries insisted Maduro’s removal required more briefings and legal justification, even while admitting Maduro was a criminal and “not the legitimate head of government.”
Newsmax host Rob Finnerty didn’t waste time calling out the left’s hypocrisy, and he did so plainly for the American people to hear: Democrats who once demanded Maduro be held accountable suddenly reflexively defend the man when a Republican took action. Finnerty’s on-air excoriation captured what millions of hardworking Americans already know — that the modern Democratic Party often opposes anything Trump does, even when he finally does what they once said needed doing.
This isn’t subtle. For years Democrats used “dictator” as their favorite smear against President Trump while showing moral softness toward real authoritarians abroad. The contrast is stark: they weaponized the word at home but balk when an actual tyrant is brought to account, revealing that outrage on the left is more about power than principle.
Let’s be clear about the man at the center of this: Maduro ran a brutal, kleptocratic regime that presided over economic collapse, political repression, and a massive drug-trafficking enterprise — and he’s been criminally charged by U.S. prosecutors for those offenses. Americans who worry about the opioid scourge, the cartels, and the collapse of neighboring states should welcome removing a narco-terror network’s chief enabler from the hemisphere.
Republicans who backed the operation were right to point out the necessity of secrecy and the precedent for swift executive action when lives and national security are at stake. From the halls of Congress to the streets of border towns, conservatives rightly argued that timidity and endless hearings aren’t an answer when our citizens are being poisoned and adversaries are embedding footholds in our backyard. Newsmax guests and GOP lawmakers called the Democrats’ tantrum what it is: political theater, not a genuine defense of international law.
Hardworking Americans aren’t fooled by partisan crocodile tears. We know the difference between posturing and protecting our country — and we will stand with leaders who put the safety of our families first, not those who reflexively side with grievance-politics. If taking down a brutal tyrant means the United States must act decisively to secure peace and justice in the hemisphere, then yes: be proud of a country that still has the courage to do what’s right.
