Jan 16, 2026
Terry Lynn Karl
By capturing his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump sought to project power abroad but instead exposed his own political vulnerability. Despite his promises to restore Venezuela’s oil industry, his overt resource grab is far more likely to fuel regional turmoil.
STANFORD – US President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to control Venezuela’s oil rest on the assumption that the United States can successfully “run” a country twice the size of Iraq. Rather than projecting strength abroad, however, this military overreach reveals the growing vulnerability of a president whose once-firm grip on American politics is steadily weakening.
