Mere days before the fifth anniversary of his failed 2021 coup, Donald Trump has taken his thuggery to a new level with the illegal and unhinged attack on Venezuela. While reminiscent of military interventionist policies of decades past, the Trump administration’s bombing of Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro represent a new phase of chaos and control.
The lawlessness of the Trump regime knows no bounds. From dismantling federal agencies and funding for domestic programs to disappearing Venezuelan nationals into an abusive detention camp in El Salvador, this administration remains intent on building a superstate that benefits a very select few.
“Trump’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro is wildly illegal, immoral, and irresponsible,” said Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, in a statement. “Just days after bombing Nigeria, the ‘Peace President’ just put the lives of millions of people at risk by bombing Venezuela and capturing their head of state with no authorization from Congress or cited evidence of a legitimate threat to the United States. This should be condemned by anyone who believes in national sovereignty and domestic or international law.”
Fraudulent War on Drugs used as a smokescreen to invade Venezuela
Trump and his administration have used the so-called protection of Americans from drugs as a smokescreen for the escalations against Venezuela. Spoiler America’s drug problem is not because of Venezuela.
Also, the so-called War on Drugs has never been about protecting families and communities. The so-called War on Drugs was always about expanding the police state and power for its perpetrators. It’s also not about liberating or protecting the people of Venezuela. Trump, his cronies, and his handlers do not care about any of us.
“Trump’s war with Venezuela, if he gets it, will do nothing to address the ongoing domestic overdose crisis, nor provide cheap energy, nor lead to better lives for people in Venezuela,” said Win Without War’s policy director Sam Ratner in a statement. “Instead, it will fuel Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, ensure suffering across the region, and put U.S. servicemembers and Venezuelans in direct and unnecessary danger.”
Congressional Inaction Will Expand Trump’s Unchecked Power Grab
In some ways, it’s a fitting start to commemorating the 250th anniversary of Trump’s version of America. Despite the democratic ideals written at its birth, America and its chosen leaders have consistently engaged in exploitation, theft, and destruction at home and abroad.
If someone being a “bad person” or a malicious dictator were enough to remove them from office, the past year wouldn’t have happened. As Balls & Strikes Deputy Editor Madiba Dennie explained early Saturday morning the Constitution, namely the Reconstruction era Amendments, is very clear on not letting lawless leaders return to power.
“Can’t help but feel like this is one of the reasons why the Constitution says if a dude in office does an insurrection, don’t let that motherf*cker hold office again,” Dennie wrote on Bluesky. “Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints.”
The blanket grant of immunity given to Trump by the Supreme Court’s far-right majority could make any efforts at legal accountability nearly impossible. And Congress has been missing in action the entire first year of the second Trump presidency, with Republicans co-signing everything and anything the president has done—even when he has undercut their own power and legitimacy.
Democrats can’t keep playing both sides and expect a different outcome.
But it’s not just the inaction and complicit nature of the current Republican controlled Congress. Five years ago, after the 2020 election and the 2021 attempted coup, Congress could have taken action. The Biden administration and the Democratic party’s need for “unity” with anti-democracy hatemongers also contributed to this moment.
Bridging the divide in this country didn’t require catering to insurrectionists who have been actively working to undermine the democracy that Democrats kept telling us we had to protect at all costs. The January 6 Commission and the failure to prosecute Trump are another example of Democrats playing stupid games and getting us all stuck with this mess.
Even as frustrating and unbelievable as this timeline continues to be, it’s not the time to tune out, duck, and hide.
People are reachable. People are concerned. And people want to know what can be done about this.
As my husband and I ran errands Saturday morning, we heard folks expressing horror and shock at what’s happening. I listened as two Black men talked about the lie about the war on drugs, Trump’s abuse of power, and what this could mean for us at home. It’s a bread-and-butter issue. Thuggery abroad impacts us at home and vice versa.
The ongoing escalation of abuse of power and mass theft demands more than spammy emails and texts asking for donations from random political organizations. Now is not the time to build your list or to shake people down for useless projects.
Leadership in this moment requires clearly denouncing the kidnapping and illegal actions taken against another country. It also requires clear calls to action that give people actionable steps and clearly identified people to engage and hold accountable.
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