Pod Save the World — "Where Will Trump Invade Next?"

Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Tommy Vietor & Ben Rhodes

Episode Overview

This episode dissects the sweeping consequences of Trump’s recent military intervention in Venezuela, the emerging “Don Row Doctrine” of overt US expansionism in the Western Hemisphere, and escalating crises like the mass protests in Iran. Tommy and Ben analyze the latest developments, including Trump’s motives, media reactions, implications for international order, and the US Congress’s uncertain response. An essential interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Congress’s top Democrat on Latin America, provides first-hand perspective on Capitol Hill’s concerns and potential checks on Trump’s war powers.

Main Discussion Topics & Key Insights

1. The Venezuela Operation: From Negotiation to Invasion

• US-led Special Forces Raid: Significant Delta Force assault on Caracas; 80 Venezuelans and 32 Cubans reportedly killed. US military used stealth drones and cyber warfare to disable the Caracas power grid before the raid. Trump has openly boasted about operational details.
• Human Rights Fallout: Regime’s paramilitary groups (“colectivos”) are arresting journalists and cracking down on civilians celebrating Maduro’s removal. Human rights abuses have intensified, not lessened.
• Leaking of Classified Info: The administration’s rapid, boastful leaks about sensitive CIA assets, drone ops, and cyber tactics is unprecedented—especially compared to prior administrations’ handling of classified military ops.
  • “We have just telegraphed, by the way...here’s how we might go about regime change in your country.” — Ben (10:04)

2. Trump’s Motives: Oil, Optics, and Personal Grievances

• Neglected Opposition: Despite previous support, Trump jettisoned opposition leader Maria Machado after she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize (which Trump coveted). The rationale seems petty but plausible, considering his history.
  • “If she had turned it down, she'd be the president of Venezuela today.” — Source close to the White House via Washington Post (12:45)
• Installation of Regime Insiders: Trump named Maduro’s VP, Delsey Rodriguez, as interim president—favored by US intelligence for regime stability, not democracy.
  • “This operation clearly had nothing to do [with human rights]...it’s about oil.” — Ben (14:06)
• Policy Evolution: Trump, frustrated by stalled negotiations and Maduro's public ridicule (the infamous dancing videos), shifted to military action.

3. The Don Row Doctrine: US Imperial Ambitions in the Hemisphere

• Trump and advisers are candid about the US acting as a hemispheric superpower, using military force to remove adversarial regimes, secure resources (notably oil), and expel rivals like Cuba, Iran, and China from Latin America.
  • [45:13] “The United States is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere. We are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower.” — Stephen Miller, Viceroy for Venezuela
• Target List Broadens: Trump threatens potential interventions in Colombia (“ruled by a sick man”), Cuba (“ready to fall”), Mexico (“needs to get their act together”), and even Greenland.
  • [44:55] Supercut of Trump threatening Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Greenland
• International Alarm: Allies warn that these moves could shatter NATO, break post-WWII international law, and set off global resource grabs and wars.
  • [53:20] “Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively...Greenland belongs to its people.”
  • [56:13] “We are breaking every single rule that has held the world together since World War II.” — Ben

4. Aftermath in Venezuela: Who’s Actually in Charge?

• Delsey Rodriguez: Seasoned regime insider, skilled negotiator, but not in control of the all-powerful military or intelligence services.
  • [32:20] “She’s negotiating between Venezuelan business interest and the military...she’s not necessarily controlling all the levers of power.” — Ben
• US “Three Big Asks”: Crack down on drugs (risky, may provoke military), expel Cuban/Iranian operatives (difficult), stop oil sales to US adversaries like China (likely economically prohibitive).
• Fragile Stability: Paramilitaries (ELN, FARC) threaten to sabotage oil production; regime infighting could spark civil strife.

5. Legal and Congressional Backlash

• Fake Legal Premises: The US quietly dropped the claim that Maduro leads a “narco-terrorist” cartel, undermining Trump’s public justification for intervention.
  • [37:36] “They can make shit up to send an armada to the Caribbean...but they do know they can't lie to a judge.” — Ben
• Congressional Outrage: Congress, including House Dem Latin America-lead Joaquin Castro, was left in the dark while oil companies were briefed. Castro describes bipartisan efforts to reassert Congressional war powers and block further unilateral invasions.
  • [81:01] “The idea that you’d go talk to these big oil company folks and zero members of Congress—they talked to Texans, but not me.” — Rep. Joaquin Castro

6. Comparisons to Panama (1989) and Broader Historical Warnings

• Panama invasion cited as precedent, but differences are staggering: Venezuela is larger, more complex, and the Noriega operation was itself deeply murky and destructive.

7. Iran Protests: Another Regime on the Brink?

• Scale & Anger: Protests now largest since at least 2009; economic collapse and regime paralysis are fueling discontent.
• Trump’s Red Line: Warns Iran not to kill protesters, but with unclear intent or resolve. US history in such moments (e.g., 1991 Iraq) breeds skepticism among demonstrators.
  • [61:11] “If Iran, quote, violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the US will come to their rescue.” — Trump
• Regime Weakness: Supreme Leader aged 86; regime’s lack of unity and capacity to respond is evident.
• Risks of Outside Intervention: Both hosts note the dangers of US or Israeli intervention leading to civil war or IRGC military rule.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Venezuela

• On US Intelligence Leaks:
  • [10:04] Ben: "We've just telegraphed...here's how we might go about regime change in your country."
• On US Motives:
  • [14:06] Ben: "It's not about any of those things. It's about the optic of removing Maduro...and it's about oil."
• On Trump’s Response to Democracy:
  • [15:14] Tommy: "The Venezuelan constitution calls for new elections...I haven't heard anyone in the Trump administration even mention that because they obviously don't give a shit."

Don Row Doctrine

• On Expansionism:
  • [45:13] Stephen Miller: "The United States is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere."
  • [48:59] Ben: "What Stephen Miller is describing is an empire in all the Western hemisphere...these are possessions of ours."
• On Greenland:
  • [52:01] Stephen Miller: "You can't take it off the table...the US would use military force to seize Greenland."
  • [56:13] Ben: "We are breaking every single rule that has held the world together since World War II..."
  • [53:45] European Joint Statement: "Greenland belongs to its people...it is for Denmark and Greenland and them only to decide..."

Capitol Hill Reaction

• On White House Secrecy:
  • [78:56] Rep. Castro: “No heads up. I had asked Marco Rubio...are you going to come to Congress to get authorization...He said ‘no plans for anything like that’—that obviously just wasn’t true.”
• On Who Gets Briefed First:
  • [80:41] Ben: "Trump...spoke to American oil companies before the operation. It feels like...Chevron got a heads up before you [Congress]."
• On War Powers:
  • [85:46] Rep. Castro: "...trying to insist that the United States return to a circumstance where the president cannot use military force without coming to Congress...we lost by two votes."
• On National Priorities:
  • [81:59] Rep. Castro: "So you’re either going to spend billions of dollars here in the US—or...in Venezuela. Donald Trump is choosing to spend billions...in Venezuela."

Iran Protests & International Risks

• On Regime Fragility:
  • [62:42] Ben: "The regime is very weak...it’s a corrupt, sclerotic, ideological regime."
• On Dangers of US Intervention:
  • [68:41] Ben: "If this place collapses into civil war, that could be fucking awful...that’s the definition of not caring about the Iranian people."

Key Timestamps

• [02:26] Episode structure: Venezuela, Don Row Doctrine, Iran, Interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro
• [05:41] Trump’s speech bragging about Venezuela operation
• [11:46] Shift from negotiation to invasion—Trump’s personal grievances
• [14:06] Why US action is not about restoring democracy
• [32:20] Who’s in charge post-Maduro? Delsey Rodriguez’s limitations
• [44:55] Trump threatens further interventions in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Greenland
• [45:13] Stephen Miller lays out Don Row Doctrine
• [52:01] Miller on “taking” Greenland by force—European outcry
• [56:13] Ben on crumbling global order
• [61:11] Trump draws a “red line” on protest crackdowns in Iran
• [76:11] – [99:43] Rep. Joaquin Castro interview: congressional reaction, war powers, party dynamics, constituent response

The Hosts’ Tone & Takeaway

Tommy and Ben wield their trademark mix of biting humor, indignation, and insider savvy. They make no secret of their alarm at the swaggering, imperial course of Trump’s foreign policy. Even as they dissect the tactical and strategic blunders, they never lose sight of the human consequences for Venezuelans, Iranians, and regional allies. Their skepticism—finger firmly on the pulse of DC and world politics—leads to sobering warnings about the end of American-led international norms and the specter of broader, unchecked military adventurism a la the Don Row Doctrine.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This is a critical episode for understanding America’s post-January 6th approach to foreign policy under Trump—a mix of reckless bravado, transactional self-interest, and dangerous precedent-setting. The episode offers rich context, expert analysis, and frontline perspectives (notably from Congressman Castro) on what may be the dawn of a new, volatile era for the US and the world.

If you wish to explore further:

• Interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro starts at [76:11]
• Key discussion of US motives and doctrine around [14:06], [45:13], [52:01], [56:13]
• Iran protests and Trump red lines examined at [61:11] and onward