In a striking public rebuke, Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has condemned former President Donald Trump's recent actions in Venezuela, framing them as a departure from the "America First" platform she helped elect him to uphold.
A Vocal Critique on National Television
Speaking on CNN's "The Source" with Kaitlan Collins, Greene expressed deep concern over the trajectory of Trump's administration following its moves against the South American nation. The U.S. has conducted deadly strikes on alleged drug boats from Venezuela since September and seized Venezuelan oil tankers. Most significantly, the administration captured the country's now-ousted leader, Nicolás Maduro, and installed an interim president, former Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
Greene noted she voted for Trump in the last three presidential elections specifically for his promises of "no more foreign wars, no more regime change and putting the American people first." She argued the Venezuela intervention represents the exact "globalist" behavior his base voted against.
Drawing Parallels to Past Foreign Policy Failures
The congresswoman drew a direct line from the current situation in Venezuela to previous U.S. interventions that she believes ended in disaster. "We can say thankfully that Maduro has been arrested, we can say we’re happy for the Venezuelan people, but we can also look to all the regime changes before — in Iraq and Libya and Syria — and we said the same things for the people of those countries," Greene stated.
She warned of a familiar pattern: initial optimism followed by prolonged turmoil, civil war, the rise of extremist groups like ISIS, and the extended deployment of U.S. troops. "Many flag-draped coffins come home," she added somberly, stating this is what "many Americans don't want" for Venezuela.
Focus on Domestic Issues vs. Foreign Entanglements
Greene sharply contrasted the administration's focus on Venezuela with pressing problems at home. "I would like to see our elected president and vice president and his administration running America," she told Collins. Her priorities, she emphasized, are issues like helping Americans afford life, healthcare, insurance, and homes.
This criticism marks a notable fracture between Greene, a long-time MAGA movement darling, and Trump. The split has been growing, previously fueled by Trump's support for legislation affecting Medicaid and his hesitance to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. On Venezuela, her stance was unequivocal: "Venezuela belongs to the Venezuelan people, and they should elect their own government leaders."
Trump, for his part, confirmed in a Saturday interview that the U.S. will be "strongly involved" in Venezuela's oil-rich future and told NBC News that "MAGA loves what I’m doing." Greene's public dissent challenges that claim, highlighting a rift within the Republican base over the scope and cost of American power abroad.
