AP Reports 'America First' Trump Wants to Run Venezuela
The AP's speculative piece about a 2026 Trump intervention in Venezuela, allegedly to capture Nicolás Maduro, notes concerns that such a move contradicts Trump's 'America First' philosophy. One might wonder if 'America First' was ever meant to apply to countries without strategic oil reserves, or the potential for lucrative reconstruction contracts. The template for US leaders deciding who 'runs'
sovereign nations, and then installing them, is a well-worn path, paved by everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to George W. Bush – bipartisan exceptionalism, if you will. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, cited as questioning this 'Washington playbook,' conveniently overlooks that the 'Washington playbook' has a long, storied history of projecting US power under various ideological banners. Whether
it's 'spreading democracy' or 'capturing criminals,' the outcome often looks suspiciously similar: US interests, not humanitarian concerns, are paramount. Perhaps the 'test' isn't holding the GOP together, but seeing who gets to profit from the next 'mission accomplished' photo op.