The Editorial Board
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John Stoehr is the editor of the Editorial Board. he/him. Subscribe: http://editorialboard.com.
Reposted by The Editorial Board
Vance’s use of quotes is deliberate, not illiterate like Trump’s. Here, it signifies that legality itself is a dubious or frivolous concept as applied to the actions of the regime. It conveys not just that it’s wrong to say the acts were illegal, but ridiculous to use law as a metric at all.
Vance pushes back and says this was not illegal, arguing "Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
January 3, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Vance’s use of quotes is deliberate, not illiterate like Trump’s. Here, it signifies that legality itself is a dubious or frivolous concept as applied to the actions of the regime. It conveys not just that it’s wrong to say the acts were illegal, but ridiculous to use law as a metric at all.
Reposted by The Editorial Board
Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks says we won't have "troops on the ground" in Venezuela as a Fox News chyron says: "TRUMP: 'WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND.'"
GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks: "We don't want to have troops on the ground. Iowans don't want that, Americans don't want that. We do not want nation building. This is not what's going to occur."
January 3, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks says we won't have "troops on the ground" in Venezuela as a Fox News chyron says: "TRUMP: 'WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND.'"
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With all this uncertainty about who ‘runs’ any Venezuelan transition, Reuters reports Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Moscow. Creditors have thought that she and her brother Jorge (in Caracas) might oversee a transition and have channels to the US. www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Venezuela vice president Rodriguez in Russia, four sources say
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia, four sources familiar with her movements said on Saturday, after President Donald Trump said President Nicolas Maduro had been by U.S. forces af...
www.reuters.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:02 PM
With all this uncertainty about who ‘runs’ any Venezuelan transition, Reuters reports Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Moscow. Creditors have thought that she and her brother Jorge (in Caracas) might oversee a transition and have channels to the US. www.reuters.com/world/americ...
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When Dems try to outflank the right on immigration, it fails because voters know that Reps are the party of deportation. It should be the exact same way for war, where voters laugh at the suggestion that Reps could actually be more anti war than Dems. But it’s not, because Dems are in fact pro war.
January 3, 2026 at 7:15 PM
When Dems try to outflank the right on immigration, it fails because voters know that Reps are the party of deportation. It should be the exact same way for war, where voters laugh at the suggestion that Reps could actually be more anti war than Dems. But it’s not, because Dems are in fact pro war.
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Rep. Seth Moulton comes on CNN and starts by saying: "Is anyone going to just stop for a second and be honest? This is insane. What the hell are we doing? We've got a lot of problems in America today, and invading / occupying / running Venezuela does not solve any of them."
January 3, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Rep. Seth Moulton comes on CNN and starts by saying: "Is anyone going to just stop for a second and be honest? This is insane. What the hell are we doing? We've got a lot of problems in America today, and invading / occupying / running Venezuela does not solve any of them."
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Well, who is paying the bill on that buddy? The remaining appropriations bills that matter as of today are:
Defense and State
Well, Chuck Schumer, time to crank up ole shutdown machine because where is the “running Venezuela” line item?
Defense and State
Well, Chuck Schumer, time to crank up ole shutdown machine because where is the “running Venezuela” line item?
Trump on Venezuela: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition"
January 3, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Well, who is paying the bill on that buddy? The remaining appropriations bills that matter as of today are:
Defense and State
Well, Chuck Schumer, time to crank up ole shutdown machine because where is the “running Venezuela” line item?
Defense and State
Well, Chuck Schumer, time to crank up ole shutdown machine because where is the “running Venezuela” line item?
Reposted by The Editorial Board
I’ll respond to this disingenuous question exactly one time.
Maduro’s rule does is immaterial to the violation of sovereignty and international law that this strike represents. Go bother someone else with this nonsense.
Maduro’s rule does is immaterial to the violation of sovereignty and international law that this strike represents. Go bother someone else with this nonsense.
Do you dispute their description of maduro’s rule?
January 3, 2026 at 5:44 PM
I’ll respond to this disingenuous question exactly one time.
Maduro’s rule does is immaterial to the violation of sovereignty and international law that this strike represents. Go bother someone else with this nonsense.
Maduro’s rule does is immaterial to the violation of sovereignty and international law that this strike represents. Go bother someone else with this nonsense.
Jesus really @reuters.com?
Nicolas Maduro's heavy-handed rule in Venezuela is finally ended by Trump reut.rs/3YWbo3K
Nicolas Maduro's heavy-handed rule in Venezuela is finally ended by Trump
Nicolas Maduro ruled Venezuela with a heavy hand for more than 12 years, presiding over deep economic and social crises and resisting pressure from domestic opponents and foreign governments for political change.
reut.rs
January 3, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Jesus really @reuters.com?
Reposted by The Editorial Board
We are a rogue state, run by a dictator, and the international community should treat us as such including all appropriate economic and diplomatic sanctions
January 3, 2026 at 3:36 PM
We are a rogue state, run by a dictator, and the international community should treat us as such including all appropriate economic and diplomatic sanctions
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you cannot blockade a country and bomb its capital cities and capture its leader without being at war with it, is the thing
Are we at war with Venezuela?!?
I don't know. You don't know either.
It sure would be nice to have a legitimate Pentagon press corps right about now.
I don't know. You don't know either.
It sure would be nice to have a legitimate Pentagon press corps right about now.
January 3, 2026 at 10:23 AM
you cannot blockade a country and bomb its capital cities and capture its leader without being at war with it, is the thing
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Paul Wolfowitz 2003: "The oil revenue of that country could bring between 50 and 100 billion dollars over the course of the next two or three years We're dealing with a country that could really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."
January 3, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Paul Wolfowitz 2003: "The oil revenue of that country could bring between 50 and 100 billion dollars over the course of the next two or three years We're dealing with a country that could really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."
Reposted by The Editorial Board
At least they’re saying the quiet part out loud
Trump says the U.S. will tap Venezuela's vast oil reserves and sell "large amounts" to other countries after Maduro's capture. Follow live updates:
Live updates: US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Maduro, has been captured
President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had struck Venezuela early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.
bit.ly
January 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
At least they’re saying the quiet part out loud
It is insane to say he's going to run another country while the people in his own country are getting mad about pretty much everything. Forget about hypocrisy. This is insane.
Q: Who will run Venezuela?
TRUMP: Well it's largely going to be for a period of time the people standing right behind me. We're gonna be running it.
TRUMP: Well it's largely going to be for a period of time the people standing right behind me. We're gonna be running it.
January 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
It is insane to say he's going to run another country while the people in his own country are getting mad about pretty much everything. Forget about hypocrisy. This is insane.
What Trump is doing to Venezuela is what he did to America. Details differ, but goals, ideology, rhetoric -- all the same.
January 3, 2026 at 5:27 PM
What Trump is doing to Venezuela is what he did to America. Details differ, but goals, ideology, rhetoric -- all the same.
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this is just insane. I don’t have any other words for it
Trump: "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country. And we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so."
January 3, 2026 at 5:12 PM
this is just insane. I don’t have any other words for it
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Trump very openly saying the US will be governing Venezuela with the support of US oil companies
January 3, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Trump very openly saying the US will be governing Venezuela with the support of US oil companies
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News: Gang of Eight in Congress were only notified about Trump's Venezuela operation after it began, source familiar tells me. That means the heads of the Intelligence Committees in Senate and House were *not* consulted. Just crazy.
January 3, 2026 at 3:06 PM
News: Gang of Eight in Congress were only notified about Trump's Venezuela operation after it began, source familiar tells me. That means the heads of the Intelligence Committees in Senate and House were *not* consulted. Just crazy.
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Ok, so Canada can indict Trump for bribery, bomb Washington DC, and send the Mounties to round him up. It's that how this works?
This is effectively might makes right by Vance. The US does not have sovereign authority over foreign leaders.
This is effectively might makes right by Vance. The US does not have sovereign authority over foreign leaders.
Vance pushes back and says this was not illegal, arguing "Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
January 3, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Ok, so Canada can indict Trump for bribery, bomb Washington DC, and send the Mounties to round him up. It's that how this works?
This is effectively might makes right by Vance. The US does not have sovereign authority over foreign leaders.
This is effectively might makes right by Vance. The US does not have sovereign authority over foreign leaders.
Honestly, if I were a Canadian lawmaker, I'd be demanding a huge military build up on the southern border. If Trump can snatch Maduro, then say the US is gonna "run" his country, he can do that for any leader of any country. He's ALREADY making the same noise about Mexico. Why not Canada, too?
January 3, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Honestly, if I were a Canadian lawmaker, I'd be demanding a huge military build up on the southern border. If Trump can snatch Maduro, then say the US is gonna "run" his country, he can do that for any leader of any country. He's ALREADY making the same noise about Mexico. Why not Canada, too?
Now that Trump says the US will "run" Venezuela, this thread is even more important than it already was.
Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
January 3, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Now that Trump says the US will "run" Venezuela, this thread is even more important than it already was.
No one voted to colonize anything.
January 3, 2026 at 5:03 PM
No one voted to colonize anything.
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And no fentanyl mentioned… You know, the drug Americans have been murdering civilians over in the Caribbean…
The indictment only mentions cocaine…You know, the drug smuggled into America by former Honduran President, Hernández, who was pardoned by the pedo-criminal after actually smuggling cocaine
The indictment only mentions cocaine…You know, the drug smuggled into America by former Honduran President, Hernández, who was pardoned by the pedo-criminal after actually smuggling cocaine
AG Pam Bondi says Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in SDNY.
Maduro was previously indicted in 2020 on federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy.
Unclear what Flores is charged with.
Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Maduro was previously indicted in 2020 on federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy.
Unclear what Flores is charged with.
Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Maduro 2020 indictment
www.documentcloud.org
January 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM
And no fentanyl mentioned… You know, the drug Americans have been murdering civilians over in the Caribbean…
The indictment only mentions cocaine…You know, the drug smuggled into America by former Honduran President, Hernández, who was pardoned by the pedo-criminal after actually smuggling cocaine
The indictment only mentions cocaine…You know, the drug smuggled into America by former Honduran President, Hernández, who was pardoned by the pedo-criminal after actually smuggling cocaine
Reposted by The Editorial Board
Here is J.D. Vance's rationale for seizing Maduro. He says Trump "was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States." Very interesting, since the indictment says nothing whatever about oil, stolen or otherwise. /1
January 3, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Here is J.D. Vance's rationale for seizing Maduro. He says Trump "was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States." Very interesting, since the indictment says nothing whatever about oil, stolen or otherwise. /1
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It is illegal under United States law for foreign leaders to have machine guns.
🤡🤡🤡
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January 3, 2026 at 3:32 PM
It is illegal under United States law for foreign leaders to have machine guns.
🤡🤡🤡
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