Podcast Summary: What A Day

Episode Title: Trump’s Deadly Attacks in the Caribbean Sea
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Main Guest: Tess Bridgman (Co-editor in chief, Just Security; Visiting Scholar, NYU School of Law)

Overview

This episode unpacks the recent, controversial U.S. military strikes on boats off the Venezuelan coast, which the Trump administration alleges are involved in cartel and narco-terrorist activity. Host Jane Coaston, joined by legal expert Tess Bridgman, analyzes the facts (and unknowns), the legality, and the emerging pattern of escalation that suggests these actions may be less about stopping drugs and more about destabilizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean: Fact vs. Narrative

• Background: Since early September, the U.S. military has struck seven boats off Venezuela; dozens have reportedly died ([03:29]).
• Official Rationale: Trump administration claims these boats are “narco-traffickers” ferrying fentanyl.
• Skepticism About Evidence:
  • Neither Congress nor the public has seen proof the people on board were actually traffickers.
  • Tess Bridgman: “There are huge question marks just around those basic facts for pretty much all of these strikes.” ([03:53])
  • Congressional briefings have left lawmakers unsatisfied with the administration’s explanations or evidence.

2. The Fentanyl Claim: Misdirection?

• Venezuela is not, according to experts and the NYT, a source of fentanyl for the U.S. Most fentanyl comes from Mexico, made with chemicals from China.
• Jane Coaston: “It sounds very regime changey to me.” ([02:45])

3. Legality of the Attacks

• International & U.S. Law:
  • Military force can only be used in self-defense or in a declared war.
  • The U.S. is not at war with Venezuela, and the targeted strikes are not operating under a “law enforcement paradigm” (e.g., Coast Guard intercepts/arrests).
  • Tess Bridgman: “The administration is asserting that the president can simply order the military to engage in killings outside of the law. And… it’s murder.” ([04:57])

4. Survivors, Evidence, and Accountability

• Two survivors (from Ecuador and Colombia) were returned home for prosecution but one was immediately released for lack of evidence.
• Tess Bridgman: “If those facts were sufficient to detain them… the administration is claiming they were sufficient to, in fact, kill them. So they ought to be able to tell us what it is that they're suspected of doing.” ([06:15])

5. Fallout with Colombia

• Trump cut aid and publicly insulted Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he criticized the U.S. strikes as unlawful and claimed a Colombian fisherman was among the dead.
• Tess Bridgman: “But it is at odds with our broader strategy for actually combating drug trafficking in the region. If we want to actually make a dent, we have to look at land routes and… cooperating with the governments in the region, not cutting off aid.” ([07:31])

6. Regime Change Overtones

• Trump revealed CIA covert missions inside Venezuela and doubled the bounty on Maduro.
• Jane Coaston: “Is Trump trying to settle this unfinished business of pushing out a leader he doesn’t like?” ([08:34])
• Tess Bridgman: “If they can do it in the Caribbean, they may as well do it in Venezuela next.… I think we should keep our eye on what's going on with who the president is labeling as a terrorist and what the limiting principle is…” ([09:09])

7. Congressional Checks: What’s Possible?

• Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) criticized and sought to limit the strikes.
• Congress can:
  • Pass a resolution to force the president to cease operations.
  • Use the War Powers Resolution—60 days after reporting, the president must terminate unauthorised military actions unless Congress votes otherwise.
  • Exercise funding and oversight powers.
• Tess Bridgman: “There's lots they can do in the oversight domain, but they could actually stop these actions with a vote under the War Powers Resolution or with cutting off the funds for them if they had the votes to do it.” ([11:23])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rand Paul on Meet the Press: “When you kill someone… you have to accuse them of something… So all these people have been blown up without us knowing their name, without any evidence of a crime.” ([02:29])
• Tess Bridgman: “At bottom, what's going on here is the administration is asserting that the President can simply order the military to engage in killings outside of the law. And there's a name for that. It's murder.” ([04:57])
• Tess Bridgman: “It could be a prelude to regime change… they've certainly been making not so veiled threats about Maduro in particular... If they move in that direction, we'll get a whole new level of illegal, because they'd also be using force against Venezuela.” ([09:09])
• Jane Coaston: “This feels like a moment where you're like, but I thought you had to ask Congress. And meanwhile, we're shelling fishing boats.” ([10:42])

Key Segment Timestamps

• [00:02–01:27] – Introduction and summary of escalating U.S. strikes off Venezuela.
• [01:27–02:45] – Punditry on war justification, media/political spin, and expert clarifications.
• [03:27–05:51] – Interview: Tess Bridgman breaks down the lack of evidence and legal issues with the strikes.
• [06:15–08:34] – Discussion of survivor detentions; U.S.-Colombia fallout; regional strategy failures.
• [08:34–10:42] – Discussion of regime change motives and U.S. strategy toward Maduro.
• [10:42–13:06] – Potential Congressional checks; explanation of War Powers Act implications.

Additional News Briefs (Short Recap)

• Rand Paul Snubbed: Trump excludes Sen. Rand Paul from White House luncheon in a public display of political tensions ([16:02]).
• Affordable Care Act: House Republicans under pressure from constituents about ACA subsidies and shutdown stance ([16:15]).
• Middle East Update: VP J.D. Vance visits Israel; calls for patience on hostage returns, with ongoing ceasefire violations ([18:05]).
• ICE Recruits: High failure rates on ICE physical fitness tests highlight recruitment struggles ([19:25]).

Tone & Highlights

• The episode maintains a crisp, skeptical, and at times sardonic tone consistent with Jane Coaston’s style, particularly in calling out political spin and poking fun at both the seriousness and absurdity of contemporary politics.
• The legal analysis from Tess Bridgman is clear, urgent, and uncompromising, emphasizing the absence of evidence and the potential for catastrophic escalation.
• The episode is grounded in facts but inflected with wry commentary, especially when unpacking administration justifications and congressional impotence.

Conclusion

Listeners come away with a thorough understanding of the controversy over U.S. strikes in the Caribbean—how little evidence has been presented, the serious questions over legality, and the risks of escalating toward outright regime change in Venezuela. The episode clarifies what Congress could do next, while exposing the disconnect between official narratives and established facts. If you missed the interview, Tess Bridgman’s expert breakdown is essential listening for anyone tracking the intersection of foreign policy, law, and presidential power in 2025.