President Trump wants Venezuela’s oil, but whether and to what extent U.S. energy companies will actually go after it remains an open question. Over the weekend, following the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump indicated that the U.S. would run Venezuela’s oil industry —
It’s often said that one of Donald Trump’s biggest innovations in American politics is to confess to his corruption right out in the open. Over the years, Trump has frequently confirmed the truth of that diagnosis. But during remarks to reporters on Sunday about his invasion of
What are we doing in Venezuela? Given President Trump’s declaration that the United States will now “run” the country for the foreseeable future, the answer should be clear. It isn’t—not even remotely. In the months leading up to Saturday’s shocking invasion of Caracas to
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has abandoned his 2026 reelection campaign. In his announcement Monday, Walz pointed to right-wing conspiracy theories about the state’s Somali immigrant community as having played a part in his decision. It has been nine years since Pizzagate, and
President Trump is flexing U.S. imperial power in an extraordinarily overt way. The impulse extends beyond the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Trump is now beating a threatening drum, with varying degrees of intensity, in relation to Cuba, Colombia and even
The first year of Donald Trump’s second term in office was marked by the rapid implementation of his far-right program. From ICE to DOGE, from anti-DEI to anti-antifa, and from bombing boats to $400 million bribes, Trump’s regime has turned out even more extreme than feared
The abduction and rendition of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro is supposed to be about the illicit drug trade, but it’s really about oil. Venezuela is not a major drug supplier to the United States, especially where the administration’s main worry, fentanyl, is concerned.
Americans seem to be feeling very “late” these days. “Late-stage capitalism” has for a few years been the catchall for the indignities and inconveniences of life for workers and consumers. It is now joined by “late republic,” a lament for the threadbare and tattered
Republicans are worried that President Trump may embrace a new round of nation-building in Venezuela, something he renounced earlier in his political career. The prospect of the United States taking over Venezuela is sparking a backlash from MAGA allies, and lawmakers in both
Democrats are using the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack to blast President Trump, accusing him of inciting the riot and pledging accountability even as he pardoned hundreds of defendants on his first day in office. The 2021 riot, which unfolded as lawmakers were
Former conservative lawyer-turned-Trump-critic George Conway officially launched a Democratic bid for New York’s 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, joining an increasingly crowded field to represent the Manhattan-based seat. “We have a corrupt president, a mendacious
President Trump just unleashed a wild rant on Truth Social, accusing media figures of deliberately ignoring good news about his worsening tariff disaster because they “hate and disrespect our country.” He added that the tariffs have made us “ FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED
Netflix’s “kids” programming is … anything but.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), on her last day in Congress, expressed hope that Americans will speak out against the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela. “I really hope to see the American people push back and say, ‘Let’s focus on the United States of America,
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller backed President Trump’s assertion that the U.S. will govern Venezuela in the wake of the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro. “What the president said is true. The United States of America is running Venezuela. By definition,
Top Senate and House lawmakers from both parties emerged from a classified briefing given by President Trump‘s most senior officials with little clarity on the future of Venezuela, days after the president declared the U.S. would “run” the country after apprehending its
Top Trump officials conducted a two-hour session with senior lawmakers — many of whom want more answers about what lies ahead.
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story More strikes ahead? Trump threatens multiple countries after Venezuela President Trump levied a barrage of new threats against various countries
Conservative Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday pointed the finger directly at his colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as the primary instigator behind President Trump’s surprise mission to send U.S. special operators into Caracas to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás
The House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it’s extending a review of allegations against Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and Brandon Phillips, Collins’s chief of staff who transitioned to the congressman’s Senate campaign, releasing a report from the Office of Congressional
Two high-profile Republican senators on Monday warned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth against reducing Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Ariz.) military rank or pension as punishment for filming a video with several other Democratic lawmakers urging service members not to follow unlawful
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively, slammed the Trump administration for not including them in a Monday briefing on the operation in Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro and his
{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump captures Maduro, eyes Venezuela's oil industry After the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Trump said he wanted the U.S. to take over the country's oil production. © Alex Brandon,
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) defended the Trump administration Monday for not consulting Congress ahead of its operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The administration notified the “Gang of Eight” — which
The Sunshine State, which may be just as well-known for its storm activity, is no longer the lightning capital of the U.S., according to a new report.
President Trump said in an interview on Monday that the U.S. needs to “nurse Venezuela back to health” before the country holds an election. "We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote," Trump told NBC News. "No,
President Trump’s decision to leave the door open to putting boots on the ground and to regime change in Venezuela is getting a frosty reception from conservatives, who are warning that he is risking a key campaign pledge to end “forever wars” and keep out of foreign
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Dow hits record high as stocks rally after Venezuela All three major stock indexes closed with gains Monday after the U.S. arrested and extradited Nicolás Maduro.
The Trump administration is awarding a total of $2.7 billion to three companies to support uranium enrichment for nuclear energy. American Centrifuge Operating, General Matter and Orano Federal Services will receive $900 million each. General Matter is reportedly backed by
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) hammered President Trump on Monday for this weekend's U.S. attack on Venezuela, saying the raid was an “unprecedented” exercise lacking both a legal authorization and a practical justification. Speaking to reporters in the Capitol,
President Trump’s toppling of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has left a cloud of uncertainty across the region as the president issued threats against other Latin American leaders and pledged the U.S. will be “in charge” of Venezuela. After an early Saturday morning raid that
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Palantir courts contracts, controversy in Trump 2.0 Palantir has seen its portfolio of government contracts mushroom in President Trump’s second term, but the company is also facing growing scrutiny over its work with the
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who cast a critical vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, on Monday blasted the reduction of the childhood immunization schedule by Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The U.S. is changing which vaccines are recommended for children, slashing the number of shots endorsed for everyone and leaving more decisions in the hands of parents and pediatricians.
Most Americans say they worry the U.S. will become too involved in Venezuela, according to a survey conducted just after the operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro from power. In the two-day Reuters/Ipsos survey that concluded Monday, 72 percent of Americans said they
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Cuba’s communist regime may be on the way out. “There’s no way that the communist dictatorship in Cuba survives after the takedown of Maduro. It is over, it’s just a matter
President Trump’s threats against various countries following the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro is sending signals to the world that he wants to flex U.S. power as he sees fit globally. A day after the news of Maduro’s capture, Trump floated potential action in other
You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack . Democrats in Congress and the broader public must signal their opposition to the Trump administration overthrowing the Venezuelan government or the president will
The State Department on Monday echoed President Trump’s rhetoric on U.S. authority in the Western Hemisphere. “This is OUR Hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be threatened,” the department wrote on the social platform X. After U.S. forces captured
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) stunning decision to drop his reelection bid is raising speculation that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) may run for the seat, thrilling members of her party at a time when they find themselves ensnared in a growing political scandal over widespread
A woman was arrested live on camera in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while talking to a local newscast about protesting the U.S. government’s sudden takeover of Venezuela. Jessica Plichta helped Grand Rapids Opponents of War organize the turnout Saturday, which inspired dozens of
The Trump administration is cutting off $10 billion in funding for social services like childcare and aid for poor families in five deep blue states. The New York Post reported Monday that the Department of Health and Human Services will freeze funding for California,
A federal judge on Monday denied Rep. LaMonica McIver's (D-N.J.) bid to dismiss a federal assault charge based on legislative immunity, rejecting for the third time the House member's arguments that her alleged conduct was protected. U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper’s ruling
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) went after Hilton Hotels on Monday, accusing it of engaging in an effort to cancel agents' reservations in Minnesota. The company pushed back on the claim. “@HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE
In the wake of U.S. forces capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has taken over the South American country. Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally, led her first council of ministers meeting as acting president on Sunday. The
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will hold a news conference late Monday afternoon. His remarks come as Congress returns to Washington following the holiday recess and as lawmakers press for details on the U.S. raid over the weekend that captured Venezuelan leader
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the American people are “scratching their heads” at President Trump’s threats to other countries after U.S. forces carried out an operation to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. In an interview on
President Trump’s recent imperialistic escalations and threats have neocons like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham practically drooling. After the “America First” president kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, killing about 80 people in airstrikes in the process, he
The White House’s succession plan for Venezuela could see Stephen Miller deciding the country’s future. Donald Trump is reportedly “weighing” whether to tap the notoriously anti-immigrant deputy chief of staff to oversee Venezuela in the coming months, according to at least one
