President Trump's audacious capture of Nicolás Maduro has landed favorably with much of his MAGA base, challenging the notion that an "America First" foreign policy demands pure isolationism.
Why it matters: MAGA's rejection of "forever wars" — reinforced by Trump's campaign promise of "no new wars" — is often mistaken for blanket opposition to U.S. power abroad.
- The reaction to Trump's attack on Venezuela suggests that many of his supporters are open to limited, decisive action — especially in the Western Hemisphere.
- The more fraught question for MAGA is how Trump's vision for an open-ended U.S. role in "running" Venezuela fits within the bounds of "America First."
Driving the news: "MAGA loves it. MAGA loves what I'm doing. MAGA loves everything I do," Trump told NBC News in an interview in which he denied that the U.S. is "at war" with Venezuela.
- "MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do, too."
What they're saying: Conversations with MAGA operatives and media figures reveal varying degrees of comfort with regime change, a concept that became politically toxic after the Iraq War.
Some were bullish on Venezuela, praising the operation as a blow to Chinese, Russian, Iranian and Cuban influence in the region — and a clear display of U.S. military dominance.
- Trump "is protecting the American interest in the Western Hemisphere," said Breitbart News' Matt Boyle. "He did so with a quick and decisive military and law enforcement action — not a long, drawn-out war...This is 'America First' in action."
- Raheem Kassam of The National Pulse framed the attack as "rugged realism," telling Axios: "If there are to be puppets, they will be American puppets, not Chinese puppets."
Between the lines: Venezuela's proximity to the U.S. — and its domestic nexus with the migrant crisis and drug trafficking — also has made the intervention more palatable to "America First" supporters.
- "'America First' never meant isolationist. That's a neocon smear," MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec told Axios.
- "One of the biggest splits that you will see is geography. There are a lot more 'America First' guys who are willing to be more aggressive within our hemisphere than across the world," he added.
The other side: Several MAGA-aligned figures have been far more skeptical, warning of another foreign escapade distracting from domestic concerns at a critical moment for the Republican Party.
- Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a onetime Trump loyalist whose last day in Congress was Monday, expressed disgust with "Washington's military machine," tweeting: "This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end. Boy were we wrong."
- "I think die-hard MAGA will believe it's about narcoterrorism, but all the fentanyl is coming from Mexico, so why aren't we doing anything about the literal failed narco-state on our border?" one MAGAworld operative texted Axios.
The big picture: Trump has reveled in the operation's success, arguing that Maduro's capture — and the potential windfall from U.S. control over Venezuela's vast oil reserves — aligns with "America First."
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will have a major role overseeing Venezuela for the foreseeable future, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "the first steps are securing what's in the national interest of the United States."
- "No more drug trafficking. No more Iran, Hezbollah presence there. No more using the oil industry to enrich all our adversaries around the world," he continued.
What to watch: Even among supporters of Maduro's capture, there are limits to how far Trump should go — especially as he moves on to threatening other Latin American leaders.
- "I think right now, the vibe is very good — and the vibe is very good because it was easy. There were no losses, they got their guy, they got out," said Blake Neff, a co-host on "The Charlie Kirk Show."
- "Is Cuba next? Is Mexico next? Is Colombia next? Should we just forcefully seize Greenland? I would say, make sure Venezuela is actually a success before you start looking for new things to do," Neff cautioned.
