Trump Is Tying His Legacy to Whatever Happens in Venezuela

Possibly, just possibly, Donald Trump just scored a foreign-policy success that could define his legacy. By striking Venezuela and whisking away Nicolás Maduro (along with Maduro’s wife), the US president removed a patently illegitimate dictator and, in theory, opened the door for a wretched nation to return to democracy and stability. And Trump appears to have done it without dragging America into another “forever war” of the sort that he promised his MAGA base to avoid. If all goes well, this American coup in Venezuela could became exhibit A of a newly proclaimed “Donroe” or “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine.

That’s a big if. Any number of other scenarios can still mar this achievement and instead confirm the trajectory that Trump’s foreign policy has mostly taken since he began his second term — one that points toward regional and global chaos and lawlessness.