In the wake of the dramatic seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump supporters in Florida are celebrating what they perceive as a masterful display of American strength. The operation, which resulted in no U.S. casualties, is being framed by the administration and its base as a necessary intervention fundamentally distinct from the prolonged nation-building missions of the past.
Dirk Frazier, a longtime Trump supporter from St. Augustine, articulated this sentiment, contrasting the swift Venezuelan action with the ‘never-ending wars’ in Iraq and Afghanistan that defined his youth. ‘We are acting like a world superpower again,’ Frazier stated. ‘All bad actors are on notice.’ This perspective is echoed by conservative strategists who emphasize the Western Hemisphere’s proximity, arguing that even isolationist elements within the MAGA movement view regional stability as a core national interest.
Administration officials, including Vice-President JD Vance, have vigorously defended the move, citing the need to combat drug flows and protect U.S. assets from what they characterize as a corrupt communist regime. ‘Are we just supposed to allow a communist to steal our stuff in our hemisphere and do nothing?’ Vance posed on social media.
Despite this unified front from supporters, the operation has not been without its critics. A handful of prominent Republicans, including Representative Thomas Massie and former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, have publicly questioned the intervention, with Greene declaring ‘this is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end.’ Internationally, the removal of a sitting president has been condemned by many as a dangerous breach of international law.
The long-term outcome remains deeply uncertain. Former CIA deputy director John McLaughlin warned that inflicting violence carries unpredictable consequences, ‘even if you have a plan.’ While polling prior to the operation showed limited public support for military action, supporters in Florida’s ‘Little Venezuela’ believe the strategic benefits—potentially curbing migration and weakening leftist governments in Cuba and Nicaragua—justify the risk, viewing it as a calculated game of ‘chess, not checkers.’