
Is Trump right when he says the US is running Venezuela now?
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Podcast Host 1
It just gets more and more extraordinary. The pictures, the facts of what's happening in Venezuela, but also what's happening outside Venezuela with Nicolas Madura, the president, should we perhaps call him? Former president, seized by the US military, of course, along with his wife, handcuffed, taken now to court in New York surrounded by armed guards. He's in prison, clothing China demanding that the US free him. It is all a hugely, hugely interesting subject, to put it mildly. We've got a load of questions about it on 5Live. Before we get to our 5Live session though, and the questions that we answered, let's get to a central one that an awful lot of people are asking. It's asked for us this time round by Mary in Kentucky.
Caller/Listener
Given the recent developments Venezuela I wanted to ask what the team think Trump means when he says the US will run Venezuela. Does he mean that in more of an overseer position while dangling the threat of military involvement? Or might it be a more hands on approach, such as actually using the military to force out Maduro's remaining government and putting in someone of the US's choosing? Is it realistic to expect Maduro's government to just roll over and accept the necessary changes? Or is a stronger hand by the US involved to keep things from spiraling into further chaos?
Podcast Host 2
That's a really good question, Mary. And both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have addressed it. This is what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday when he spoke to NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday morning.
Interviewer
President Trump said, we're going to run the country. So is it you? Is it Secretary Hegseth, who are those.
Podcast Advertiser
People who will be running the country specifically?
Marco Rubio (quoted)
Well, it's not running the, it's running policy. The policy with regards to this, we want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it's good for the people of Venezuela, it's in our national interest. It either touches on something that's a threat to our national security or touches on something that's either beneficial or harmful.
Interviewer
And are you involved in that transition?
Marco Rubio (quoted)
So, obviously I'm very involved in this. I mean, I think everyone knows I'm pretty involved on politics in this hemisphere. Obviously a Secretary of State, a national security advisor, very involved in all these elements. The Department of War plays a very important role here, along with the Department of Justice, for example, because they've got. They're the ones that have to go to court. So this is a team effort by the entire national security apparatus of our country, but it is running this policy.
Podcast Host 1
That's the long answer. Here's the short one from Donald Trump.
Donald Trump (quoted)
Don't ask me who's in charge, because I'll give you an answer and it'll be very controversial.
Interviewer
What does that mean?
Donald Trump (quoted)
It means we're in char.
Caller/Listener
Have you spoken with her?
Donald Trump (quoted)
We're in charge.
Interviewer
Have you spoken with her?
Donald Trump (quoted)
No, No, I haven't, but other people have.
Interviewer
You want to?
Podcast Host 1
Yeah, at the right time, I will.
Podcast Host 2
So that was on Air Force One, and the reporter was asking whether Donald Trump had spoken to Venezuelan Vice President Delsey Rodriguez, who is now the acting president of Venezuela. And a pretty marked difference between careful comments there by Marco Rubio.
Podcast Host 1
So one of the interesting things, I think, Anthony, just listening to Marco Rubio is, you know, he says, actually, doesn't he, in terms that you'll know that I have an interest in this hemisphere. And it is interesting the extent to which all of this, actually, number one, comes down to him, because he's been someone behind the scenes who's been suggesting that this was possible and should be done. But number two, that when it does come down to him, that he's kind of. He's left having to work out what to do. And it's just not clear to me the extent to which he's taken on the latter of those things and actually now is to an extent, saying that he's not in charge. What does in charge mean? I mean, it's pretty unclear, isn't it?
Podcast Host 2
Yeah, it's really easy for Donald Trump to say, yeah, we're in charge. It sounds kind of tough and bold and controversial, as he himself said when he. When he says that. But Rubio has to deal with the nuts and bolts of this, and I think that's why you're seeing him being a little more careful in his language. And you are also right. This is something that Rubio has pushed for, that he's wanted for quite some time. Remember, he was a former Florida senator, where There are a lot of Venezuelan expats living. And he has been very connected to not just the Cuban community in Florida, he is a Cuban heritage, but also the Venezuelan community. So he has. This is his baby. And he is going to be very, very involved in all the details of it. And I think he realizes that just running everything from Washington or running everything with Americans in charge is impractical in the extreme. And it is much easier for the United States to find people in Venezuela, perhaps including Rodriguez, the vice president who was first resistant, but now seems a little more open to working with the United States and using them to help have a more ordered, managed transition, to help them open the country up to America, the kind of American investment that both Trump and Rubio have talked about.
Podcast Host 1
And of course, one of the things we always talk about American administrations or any administration in the Western world actually, as being a thing, an entity all swimming in the same direction. But of course, they're not really like that, as we know from all sorts of House of Cards films, and just a sort of general knowledge really, of how these things work, and particularly memoirs, when they're written long after the event, about who was playing off who to try to gain traction within an administration. And you know perfectly well, don't you, that those in the administration who are a little bit leery about what they've done, and there will be plenty, will also be saying, okay, Marco, you go for it, and if it begins to go wrong, he's going to get the blame. On the other hand, if it goes right, of course, given that there is this sort of competition between him and J.D. vance, I suppose to be the anointed one to take over in 28, to be the candidate in 28. I mean, it's high stakes, isn't it, actually, for Marco Rubio and for his future?
Podcast Host 2
Absolutely. This is his reputation on the line and this is his moment kind of in the spotlight. For a long time, it seemed like he had a quite been kind of sidelined in the big ticket negotiations, such as the Middle east peace negotiations, where Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's special envoy, was one doing the brunt of the negotiating with Israel, with the Arab powers and also with Ukraine. He was, Witkoff was, you know, the frontman, the point person with these new Ukraine negotiations. Rubio kind of took a backseat, but here he is now. This is the Western hemisphere. This is what he cares about. This is his chance to show what he can do. And yes, he does have 20, 28 presidential ambitions. He ran for president in 2016. You don't run for president one time finished. I think third was probably about where he finished. And then just kind of saying, yeah, I know it's not for me. Once you have presidential ambitions, they're there for good. So very clearly, I think he may see this as a launching point for a 2028 campaign. And you mentioned J.D. vance, who, you know, this isn't his baby, but he is very closely tied to the fate of this administration. So he's come out on axe with post defending this military operation, saying that the drug problem in Venezuela was big and needed to be addressed, that the cocaine coming out of Venezuela was a threat to the United States, and also defending taking these, the oil resources of Venezuela to compensate the oil companies that had had these oil resources confiscated from them 20 years ago, and basically saying that the United States has a responsibility in its hemisphere to address threats. And that's what great powers do. He says, and the United States is a great power again and everyone should take note. That's how he concluded his post. So there's a lot of different kind of cross currents and undercurrents going on here. So keep your eyes on Vance, keep your eyes on Rubio and see how they try to take advantage of this and how they might be ultimately threatened if things go sideways, which is a very real possibility.
Caller/Listener
Yeah.
Podcast Host 1
And on that sideways thing just with we played a clip, didn't we, of me in Venezuela sounding very young and I thought oddly posh some weeks ago. And my memory of it, I loved it, actually. And I thought Caracas was an amazing city, but my goodness, it's lawless. I mean, they're not making it up when they say, when the US Administration says that the place is difficult to live in, et cetera, et cetera, it really is. And the risk that that lawlessness becomes more widespread and heavily armed and never mind the politics of it and people kind of marching on the palace or whatever, but actually just that law and order breaks down to a greater extent on the streets of Venezuela. The extent to which they then own that, it seems to me, is a really big deal. And Ruby is going to be sweating a bit, I would have thought, over the coming days.
Podcast Host 2
Okay, well, now let's get to more of your questions with Mariana and Matt Chorley on Five Live. Welcome to Americancers.
Podcast Host 1
Americast AmeriCast from BBC News, when Donald.
Podcast Host 2
Trump calls, they say, yes, sir, right away, sir. Happy to lick your boot, sir. We are the sickest country in the world. Oh, dear.
Podcast Advertiser
Are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry of course the President supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question.
Donald Trump (quoted)
Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?
Podcast Host 3
Well, let's move on because we've got so many questions about this. We've got Ollie on the line. Hello, Ollie.
Podcast Host 1
Hello?
Podcast Host 3
Where in the world are you, Ollie? I'm in South London, not far away. Oh, you could have popped in. You're probably more like to pop in than Mariana. Ollie, what is your. What is your question? Right, well, while nobody can fail to.
Podcast Host 1
Be impressed by the efficiency of the.
Podcast Host 3
Extraction of Maduro, and under the pretext.
Podcast Host 1
Of drug running and arms trafficking, has the evidence been made public? Is the verdict a foregone conclusion and is there the remotest chance that he.
Podcast Host 3
Could actually fight it and win?
Podcast Host 2
Well, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion. I think he's definitely going to fight it and there is a chance he could. He could win. We have. We haven't seen the evidence against him per se. We've seen the indictment unsealed and the indictment charges him with cocaine trafficking, drug trafficking, arms violations, machine gun violations, but those are the charges he's going to stand trial on. Now, there are, I'm sure there will be some procedural objections that Maduro and his lawyers raise, such as the way he was removed from Venezuela and into the U.S. although there is precedent for the United States going into a foreign country and arresting someone that happened to Manuel Noriega, if you'll recall, in the late 1980s in Panama. So he probably isn't going to be able to object to this trial on those charges, but he might claim immunity as a leader of a foreign nation in kind of in the same way that Donald Trump claimed immunity from prosecution because he was taking official acts as the President of the United States. And then we have to see what kind of details there are and what kind of evidence is presented that he was directly involved in these drug trafficking allegations. And at least so far, we haven't seen a lot of that. The lawyers are going to have to make the case and it will be a judge and a jury that ultimately decides his fate.
Podcast Host 1
It's richly ironic that he's. It's the same courthouse, isn't it, Anthony, that the former Honduran leader who was sentenced to a long sentence in the States, having been found guilty of and unquestioned. I think he was guilty of massive drug running and was then pardoned by Donald Trump relatively recently. I mean, like literally days ago. I imagine the defense team might bring that up as well, to say this is all trumped. No, Pun intended charges. So, I mean, I think Ollie's point is a really serious one. The Trump administration want to suggest to the world that this is a judicial process and so there is going to have to be some judicial process behind it. And the American courts, as we've seen, don't want to be treated as kind of as just Trump rubber stamp things and they will try to look at evidence.
Podcast Host 3
Well, it's a great question. Thank you. That Ollie, good to talk to you.
Podcast Host 1
Thank you very much.
Podcast Host 3
Let's move on because we've had so many questions. This is a voice note from Ellie.
Interviewer
In Kent on AmericaCast's emergency episode about Maduro's capture. Justin said that the MAGA base would be shocked at the idea of boots on the ground in Venezuela based on their devotion to Trump thus far and his no more wars campaigning. Will this really prove to be the case or are they committed to Trump no matter what? Good question.
Podcast Host 3
Go on then, Mariana, what are your secret friends telling you?
Interviewer
How did I know that you were going to say that? Yeah, my undercover voters, my fictional characters with their social media profiles. Let me have a bit of a browse, particularly looking at the pro Trump account, which is in lots of MAGA circles. What's being shared, I would say, I mean, there's been, as I said, a lot of social media content and that's generally been being shared pretty triumphantly by everyone. To suggest, you know, this is a show of American strength and this is good and we love Donald Trump. And a lot of the edits that you're seeing on social media are these very kind of patriotic, you know, America first, Donald Trump as the kind of hero, all that sorts of stuff and kind of military imagery. And that tends to perform quite well in these circles, particularly on X, but also on places like Instagram. I think it's almost like the maga and we've spoken about this, sometimes the MAGA base, particularly on social media and particularly some of the influences, actually can be pretty harsh and vocal critics of Donald Trump. They have been recently, but I think right now we're in this like slightly gray area where people aren't quite sure what's going to happen next. And so they're still in the let's celebrate what's happened because we think it's a good thing for the United States bit that could very much change depending on what actually does happen. And if there are or aren't boots on the ground and everything else.
Podcast Host 3
There is also this weird thing, isn't it, Justin, of things that seem to go against what was originally Donald Trump's.
Podcast Host 1
Appeal and suddenly it doesn't matter because.
Podcast Host 3
The people who like him and support him like him and support him. And so when he does things, they seem to support them regardless of the fact it might be the opposite of what he originally said he was going to do.
Podcast Host 1
Yeah. So right at the beginning of Trump, the Trump phenomenon, there was a lot of sort of pointy headed political, political science research into whether people's feelings about an issue would change when they knew that Donald Trump supported it or when they didn't. And actually they did change a lot. If the Trump supporters that are broadly in his orbit, then they were very much affected by his personal endorsement of something. But, and this is something Anthony brought up in our emergency podcast, you do see.
Podcast Host 3
Did you do an emergency podcast?
Podcast Host 1
We did an emergency podcast which mentioned it. Anthony and I did it and Marianna listened to it.
Podcast Host 2
So it was.
Podcast Host 1
It was a perfect thing.
Podcast Host 3
Do you mean did you just have a phone call?
Podcast Host 1
Yeah, that's what we used to call a phone call between friends. Anyway, during our phone call between friends that other people were able to listen to, should they have wanted to. Anthony brought up the subject of Marjorie Taylor Greene. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who people may know is this congresswoman, who used to be widely regarded as dotty, to put it mildly, and used to talk about space, lasers and all sorts of things, then became a congresswoman, massive Trump supporter, then hugely in the last year or so fell out with Trump largely over Epstein, but also over other things as well, and is now a very prominent former congresswoman because she's resigned in a huff. I think she's probably going to run for the candidacy, the Republican candidacy in 2028. And she seems to be building around her a base of people who are very much, you know, to answer that question, very much. And this is the reason I said it, that MAGA is split, because there are people, significant people and people within who you would have said a year or two ago were firmly Trump, people who are now really genuinely worried. And she, as Anthony was reminding us, she's immediately brought out a statement that was very much the same statement that prominent Democrats brought out saying, this is not what we elect this guy to do.
Podcast Host 3
Well, we'll see how that plays out with the magabase. Great question from Ellie. Thank you for that. Right, we've got another caller. Joy's on the line. Hello, Joy.
Caller
Hello.
Podcast Host 3
Where are you in the world, Joy?
Caller
I'm in Knutsford, which is in Cheshire.
Podcast Host 3
Very nice. What is your question for The Americansus.
Caller
Well, it's after the US Attack on Venezuela. Is Trump more emboldened to try and take over Greenland, a NATO member? And if so, how can other NATO allies block such an assault? And I also wondered whether the oil companies are really ready and interested in investing millions of their dollars in Venezuela, or are they as surprised as everyone else has been? And are they now on the back foot wondering how they respond, given how Trump can be somewhat erratic with his response if he doesn't get what he wants from people?
Podcast Host 3
Two great questions there, Joy. Well, on the first question, we can hear from Donald Trump himself once again answering the question on the issue of Greenland, speaking to reporters on Air Force One overnight.
Donald Trump (quoted)
Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not going to be able to do it, I can tell you. You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled. It's true. They thought that was a great move.
Podcast Host 3
So Greenland's prime minister, Jens Frederik Nilsson responded by saying, that's enough now. And Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen said the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom. We've been around this block before, Anthony. Is this more serious to Greenland than it was before?
Podcast Host 2
I mean, I guess given what the United States has done in Venezuela now and the talk from people like Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Donald Trump himself about the United States dominating the Western hemisphere, that this is our region and our sphere of influence, I think, yes, you have to start thinking there they are serious about it. At least it fits into their kind of geopolitical outlook. And actually all of this started with Katie Miller, who is a social conservative, social media activist, wife of Stephen Miller, who is the deputy chief of staff in the White House, a senior Trump adviser. She posted on X a picture of Greenland draped in the stars and stripes, so red, white and blue all over Greenland with just the message saying soon. And that set off this latest round of kind of Greenland talk. But I think it's a serious issue at this point. We can't just laugh about it anymore. Now, whether the United States would actually take military action against a NATO member, that seems still to be beyond imagination. But the increasing pressure is going to put strains on NATO and going to put strains on US And European relations.
Podcast Host 3
Justin, is there a slight feeling that originally people laughed when he was talking about Greenland, but actually having seen what's happened in Venezuela, they might not be laughing now.
Podcast Host 1
Yeah, might not be laughing now. And might feel two things, really. Number one, that the United States is actually rather more powerful than it seemed. And you think back to Joe Biden and Afghanistan and all the kind of blunders that there were and missteps, et cetera, et cetera. And actually now Donald Trump does seem willing to use power, and it appears that he does have the power to use as well, you think, also to what they did in Iran in very different circumstances, but from their lights, a very successful operation. So there's that side to it, but there's also the Trump side to it, which I think is really interesting that he is very disinhibited, as we've discussed before, and he seems to be disinhibited on the world stage as well. And I'm not so sure, actually, that the NATO thing really matters. I don't think they could have march in. Well, they wouldn't need to march in. It's what they'll be trying to work out behind the scenes is what they would need to do to effectively take control in Greenland. And I think, yeah, you should take it seriously. I think we should take it seriously as a real possibility and what it does to Europe, too, because you can see the kind of the way in which various European leaders have had various reactions to what's gone on in Venezuela and how united would they be? Would Keir Starmer stand up for Greenland? Would he send troops? I don't know.
Podcast Host 3
It's not totally clear what the government line is on anything that's unfolded over the last few days. We might hear a bit later on from Yvette Cooper. Anthony, just on Joy's point about are U.S. oil companies ready to go into Venezuela? Have they been caught on the hop?
Podcast Host 2
Well, Donald Trump says they're ready. He says they're championed at the bit to get in there and invest. When you hear oil executives and you hear reports from oil companies, they seem a little more reluctant. One, because the infrastructure in Venezuela is so degraded, it will take a lot to rebuild it. Two, because the oil in Venezuela isn't as easy to refine as oil in the United States or elsewhere. And then three, the price of oil isn't very high now. So you make all these investments and you're really not getting as much of a return on it because per barrel, you're just not getting that much money from putting it into what is already a saturated oil market. So I think it may not turn out quite the way the Trump administration hopes, which is this vast resources they can tap into that they can use to not only help the Venezuelan people, which is what Donald Trump said, but also to reimburse the United States for all of the promised investment that it's going to be doing in Venezuela.
Podcast Host 3
Well, we've had a question on the discord. You'll be pleased to hear, Marianna, from Tomo, who says less important in the grand scheme of things are some of the excellent questions. But is it not very, very weird that Trump's doing his press conference in Mar a Lago rather than the White House? Does this mean he watched the question from a makeshift situation room in Florida rather than D.C. anthony?
Podcast Host 2
He did. He was in Mar a Lago. And you actually seen pictures of the makeshift room. It looks like big black curtains kind of pulled around some part of Mar a Lago, and they're, you know, they're sitting there watching it on video screens. And also, I think, interestingly enough, there's photos of the White House release of a big video screen behind Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, the Defense secretary, showing an X feed, the social media site X. So I guess they were also monitoring what people were saying on social media.
Podcast Host 1
I don't know, Anthony. There's security issues about doing it that way around. Have other presidents done important stuff from outside the White House?
Podcast Host 2
Certainly nothing this major. But then again, if you remember, during the first Trump presidency, I think he ordered strikes on Syria, missile strikes on Syria, when he was down in Mar A Lago. In fact, he was down in Mar a Lago, I think, entertaining, you know, guests and maybe.
Podcast Host 1
Yeah, it was Xi Jinping, wasn't it?
Podcast Host 2
From China. Yeah, exactly. So this is not a new concern, but it is a very real concern. Mar A Lago is a private club where people can buy memberships and hang around. Trump's there all the time, you know. And they're back.
Podcast Host 3
Vanilla Ice. It's all happening.
Interviewer
Yes. So don't we know that when Trump gave the order, he'd come back from shopping for marble, as you do for the new ballroom at the White House. And he was at Mar a Lago, where on New Year's Eve, when at Mar a Lago, he had watched Vanilla Ice perform. Ice, Ice, Baby. Surrounded by backing dancers dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Caller
As you do.
Podcast Host 3
Of course you do.
Podcast Host 1
Okay, we're off air from five Live. We've said goodbye to Matt Chorley. We've actually lost Mariana somewhere along the line. She's got other things to do, as she often does. But Anthony's still with me. So let's get to a couple more questions, Anthony, that we didn't get to live on air, as it were. Let's hear the first one. It comes from Judith in Surrey.
Caller
Hello, AmericasT, this is Judith from Surrey. I hope it's not too late to wish you all a happy New Year. Back in the early months of 2025, President Trump was chiding President Zelensky for, quote, gambling with World War 3. It feels at the beginning of 2026 as though that particular boot is now firmly on President Trump's own foot. What is the prevailing view in America, please?
Podcast Host 2
Well, happy New Year, Judith. And if you look at public opinion polls leading up to this, the American public is reluctant for increased American involvement in Venezuela. They don't see it as a high priority, which is why the Trump administration has been trying to make the case that the threat of drugs, the destabilizing influence, the threat of undocumented migrants coming to this country, that was all reason for action. But it's still in the early days after this, and we'll have to see how all of it shakes out. But I think there is some very real concern, particularly among Democrats and independents, but even among some of Donald Trump's supporters, as we've discussed, for what this means and whether Donald Trump is taking too big a risk by toppling, removing the leader of this country. The Zelenskyy stuff, I mean, when you talk about same threatening World War 3, the other thing Donald Trump said was Zelenskyy didn't have the cards. I think Donald Trump thinks here he has the cards. So it's a different kind of a game.
Podcast Host 1
Yeah, I do agree. And I think it makes World War III less likely, actually, this kind of action. You know, I don't want to directly quote Pete Hegseth, the war secretary, as he styles himself, that America is back. But I think it does suggest to people behind the scenes, never mind what people say in public behind the scenes, I think it does suggest to people that not only that the US Is capable of doing this kind of thing, but also has a president who is willing to use US Force. And that does give people pause.
Podcast Host 2
That was a feeling in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq that the United States was showing and it was dominant on the world stage, that it could use force halfway around the world and accomplish its objectives. The problem with Iraq was what happened afterwards. The United States has clearly demonstrated that it can use force to go into a country, remove a president. But the question is, does the United States have the will and the ability to deal with the aftermath.
Podcast Host 1
One more question comes from Tim in Solihull, which Anthony is in the Midlands, in England, Tim says at least one account, social media account, I guess it means, has described Trump as imperial. Has he shed his suit to reveal himself nakedly as a busted flush?
Podcast Host 2
Well, I think Donald Trump does seem to have, well, I don't know if I'll call it imperial designs, but a willingness to use American power regardless of what the rest of the world thinks. And if that's imperialism, if that's a willingness to inject American power into other countries without too much concern for the technicalities and the intricacies of international law, then, then, yes, although that is not the way the Trump administration would describe it, certainly.
Podcast Host 1
Yeah. And we hark back. I think. I think it's worth looking back to that kind of critical distinction that we were making right when Trump first came to power for the second time. In other words, back at the beginning of the year, Donald Trump sees America as an entity, not as an ideological force for good in the world. He sees it as a geographical entity with a geographical space and power, and he sees it as no more and no less than that. And if that's imperial, then it's imperial. But he has a view of the United States that is not classically the view of American presidents, really. It's fair to say, I suppose, Anthony, since the Second World War, that there's always been a sort of sense that America should be a shining city on a hill, whatever. And it's been Republican and it's been Democrats who've signed up to that. Donald Trump does not sign up to that, does he? Anyway, on that thought, Anthony, we probably should leave it because we have pretty much run out of time, at least for us, and certainly for you, because you've got other things to do. But it's been a pleasure. We will discuss all of these things again very soon. Bye bye.
Podcast Host 2
Bye.
Podcast Host 1
Thank you for listening to another episode. It is you, the ameracaster, that makes ameracast the community that it now is. If you like what you've heard, please do subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. We always want to hear your feedback as well. We look at every single bit of correspondence that we get, so you can send us an email americastbc.co.uk the WhatsApp is 443-301-239480 and you can get involved in the AmericasT Discord server. The link to that is in the description. Till next time. Bye bye.
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In this episode of Americast, the team dives into the dramatic capture and trial of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in the US, fielding questions live from listeners as part of their “Americanswers” segment on BBC 5 Live. With Maduro in a New York courtroom, US policy in Venezuela, the future of regional power dynamics, and reactions among American voters (especially Trump’s MAGA base) all come under scrutiny. Listeners also ask about Trump’s ambitions in Greenland, US oil company interests, the use of Mar-a-Lago as a command center, and broader implications for America's self-image and global role.
“Well, it's not running the, it's running policy... we want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it's good for the people of Venezuela, it's in our national interest.”
“It means we're in char... We're in charge.”
“This is his reputation on the line and this is his moment... This is his chance to show what he can do.” (07:17)
“My goodness, it's lawless… The risk that that lawlessness becomes more widespread... The extent to which they then own that, it seems to me, is a really big deal.”
“I don't think it's a foregone conclusion. He's definitely going to fight it... There is a chance he could win. We haven't seen the evidence against him per se... There are, I'm sure, some procedural objections... but there is precedent for the US going into a foreign country and arresting someone.”
“A lot of the edits you’re seeing on social media are... very patriotic, you know, America First, Donald Trump as the hero, military imagery...[but] we’re in a slightly gray area where people aren't sure what's going to happen next. They're still in the 'let's celebrate' phase...” (14:19)
“Right at the beginning of the Trump phenomenon... there was a lot of research into whether people's feelings about an issue would change when they knew Trump supported it... they did change a lot.” (15:51)
“MAGA is split... There are people... who are now genuinely worried. And [Greene] immediately brought out a statement... saying this is not what we elect this guy to do.”
“Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships… We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” (18:44)
“Given what the US has done in Venezuela... I think, yes, you have to start thinking they are serious about it... Increasing pressure is going to put strains on NATO and US-European relations.” (19:30)
“Trump says they're ready, champing at the bit to get in there... but oil execs seem more reluctant. The infrastructure is degraded... the oil isn’t easy to refine... price isn’t high. It may not turn out as the Trump administration hopes.” (22:27)
“He did. He was in Mar-a-Lago... big black curtains pulled around some part... watching on video screens. There's a big video screen showing an X feed—they were also monitoring social media.”
“It feels... as though that particular boot [of risking WW3] is now firmly on President Trump’s own foot. What is the prevailing view in America, please?” (25:45)
“The American public is reluctant for increased involvement in Venezuela. The Trump administration is trying to make the case... but there’s some real concern, even among Trump supporters.” (26:12)
“I think it makes World War III less likely, actually, this kind of action... it suggests... the US is capable... and has a president who is willing to use US force.” (27:15)
“A willingness to use American power regardless of what the rest of the world thinks... If that's imperialism... then, yes, although that is not the way the Trump administration would describe it.” (28:30)
“Trump sees America as an entity, not as an ideological force for good... if that’s imperial, then it’s imperial.”
“Don’t ask me who’s in charge, because I’ll give you an answer and it’ll be very controversial... It means we’re in charge.” (03:47)
“We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction... it’s in our national interest.” (02:59)
“This is his reputation on the line and this is his moment… he may see this as a launching point for a 2028 campaign.” (07:17)
“Right now we’re in this slightly gray area where people aren’t quite sure what’s going to happen next. They’re still in the ‘let’s celebrate’ phase...” (14:19)
“Feelings about an issue would change when they knew Trump supported it... they did change a lot.” (15:51)
“The oil in Venezuela isn’t easy to refine... it may not turn out quite the way the Trump administration hopes.” (22:27)
“You know what Denmark did recently to boost security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled.” (18:44)
“He was in Mar-a-Lago... watching on video screens... monitoring what people were saying on social media.” (23:46)
“The US is capable of doing this kind of thing, but also has a president who is willing to use US force.” (27:15)
If you haven’t followed the blow-by-blow of US-Venezuela relations or American domestic politics, this episode provides a comprehensive, accessible breakdown of a rapidly evolving, high-stakes geopolitical saga, while also capturing the anxiety, confusion, and shifting allegiances within both American and international audiences. Questions around legality, democracy, and global power projection are filtered through both elite and grassroots perspectives, making for a rich, multifaceted analysis.