A significant foreign policy victory for former President Donald Trump, the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, is now causing deep unease within his own MAGA movement, with influential figures warning it risks mirroring the disastrous Iraq war of the Bush era.
MAGA's Anti-War Base Sounds the Alarm
Stephen Bannon, a longtime Trump adviser, told the New York Times that the lack of clear messaging about a potential occupation has left the base "bewildered, if not angry." Bannon, whose 'War Room' podcast is a staple for Trump's most loyal supporters, praised the mission's operational success but questioned if Maduro's overthrow was "harkening back to our fiasco in Iraq under Bush."
The dissonance was highlighted when Trump vowed Americans would "run" Venezuela after Maduro's ouster, only for Secretary of State Marco Rubio to walk back those claims in a Sunday interview, confirming US troops were no longer deployed there. Bannon criticised this mixed messaging, noting that while Trump argues for hemispheric defence, "Rubio confuses with talk of removing Hamas and Hezbollah."
Influencers Condemn 'Hostile Takeover'
Prominent conservative voice Candace Owens condemned the operation as a CIA-staged "hostile takeover of a country" orchestrated by "globalist psychopaths." In a post to her 7.5 million followers on X, she compared it to US actions in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Other Trump confidants expressed scepticism. Laura Loomer questioned why Maduro was indicted in New York, a "liberal hell hole," rather than Florida. Roger Stone agreed, calling the choice of venue a "mystery." Maduro and his wife, Cilia, face multiple criminal charges for narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, including a conspiracy to import cocaine into the US, and were filmed being taken to a New York court.
Historical Warnings and Political Fallout
Critics also pointed to a resurfaced 2019 post from former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who as a Democratic representative warned, "The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela." She argued that toppling foreign governments historically leads to disastrous outcomes, civil war, and increased threats to national security.
Further scrutiny fell on comments made by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles just three weeks prior in Vanity Fair, where she stated that authorising activity on Venezuelan land would constitute war and require Congressional approval. This internal conflict and the vocal criticism from core MAGA influencers signal a significant political challenge for Trump, whose rise was built on savaging the Bush administration's endless wars, as he now faces accusations of potentially starting a new one.
