President Trump took a victory lap Tuesday over his “brilliant” operation to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as Democrats demanded clarity about what comes next, saying Americans cannot afford an open-ended commitment in the South American nation.
Mr. Trump, speaking to a House GOP retreat in Washington, said the raid on Mr. Maduro’s Caracas compound was one of the most complicated military operations in history and removed a brutal dictator.
“He’s a violent guy. He gets up there, and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit,” Mr. Trump said. “But he’s a violent guy.”
Mr. Trump criticized his political opponents for not giving him more credit, though he offered little about what happens next.
The president has said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the American side will keep Venezuelan successors in check through an oil embargo.
“This is how we get into endless wars: The administration has a one-day plan on how to get rid of Maduro, but no idea of what happens after. It’s what happened to us in Iraq,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “How the hell does Donald Trump expect to exert direct control over Venezuela? We have so many problems here at home. People are struggling to make ends meet, when the economy is slowing down and costs are going up.”
SEE ALSO: ‘We’re going to keep the oil,’ Trump tells TV host about Venezuela
Administration officials plan to hold a raid briefing for senators on Wednesday morning.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said he does not foresee U.S. troops deploying to Venezuela after his own briefing late Monday.
Four in 10 Americans approved of the use of the U.S. military to arrest Mr. Maduro, while a similar share opposed the raid and 20% were unsure, according to polling from The Washington Post and SSRS.
Nine in 10 Americans said Venezuelans should dictate the future of their country.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said she is ready to cooperate with the U.S. during this transition period, toning down fiery post-raid rhetoric in which she condemned the raid.
Mr. Trump is backing Ms. Rodriguez, which has sidelined Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Ms. Machado recently won the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor that Mr. Trump coveted.
SEE ALSO: After Maduro, Trump signals his next target: Mexico’s drug cartels
Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Republican, said Tuesday he spoke to Ms. Machado.
“She’s extremely grateful for [Mr. Trump’s] bold action to hold Maduro and his thugs accountable and work to restore freedom and democracy in Venezuela,” Mr. Scott wrote on X.
Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face an indictment in New York that accuses them of leading a narco-terrorism conspiracy that hurt Americans.
Mr. Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday in Manhattan. He told the judge the U.S. kidnapped him.
At least 32 Cubans who were part of Mr. Maduro’s security detail were reportedly killed during the raid. Mr. Trump said Mr. Maduro’s security forces “knew we were coming,” but U.S. forces overran them.
Twenty-four Venezuelan officers were killed, the nation’s military said Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 56 people.
Mr. Trump marveled at the details of the operation, including a shutdown of electricity in the capital.
“The only people with lights were the people who had candles,” he said.
Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking on “The Scott Jennings Show,” said the operation was conducted “flawlessly” despite early concerns when insiders were briefed about the plan.
“I think all of us were kind of skeptical, like can you actually do this, go into a foreign country, take zero dead Americans and actually, you know, take this indicted narcoterrorist, Nicolas Maduro?” Mr. Vance said.
The administration says the U.S. will work to rebuild the oil infrastructure in the country. Venezuela is home to the world’s largest known crude oil reserves.
Late Tuesday, Mr. Trump said the interim Venezuelan government will turn over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media, tasking Energy Secretary Chris Wright with carrying out the plan.
The oil, the president said, “will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.”
His focus on oil will likely fuel skepticism about U.S. motives.
Some Venezuelans cheered the ouster of Mr. Maduro, who is viewed by many in the West as illegitimate, while others denounced American interference as an ugly throwback to an imperialist era.
The daring raid continued to reverberate beyond U.S. shores.
Colombian diplomats formally complained to the U.S. over Mr. Trump’s insults toward its president, who criticized the Venezuela raid.
European leaders issued a joint statement in defense of Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, given Mr. Trump’s push for the annexation of the Arctic island that’s part of the Danish kingdom.
“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” the letter said.
Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide, reasserted U.S. claims to Greenland in a recent interview.
“The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States,” Mr. Miller told CNN.
Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska Republican, criticized Mr. Miller.
“This is really dumb. Greenland and Denmark are our allies,” Mr. Bacon wrote on X. “There is no upside to demeaning our friends. But, it is causing wounds that will take time to heal.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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