By Ben Meiselas
I just watched the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council as Donald Trump spiraled online, posting about the 2020 election while world leaders blasted his administration’s unlawful invasion of Venezuela. As diplomats spoke about sovereignty, international law, and the danger of escalation, Trump was rage-posting conspiracy theories and recycling debunked lies. That is where the United States is right now.
The Security Council convened because Trump ordered a military operation that forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and removed them from the country. The justification offered by the administration was not subtle. Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told the Council that the United States views the Western Hemisphere as its domain and that Venezuela’s vast energy reserves cannot remain outside U.S. control. Waltz said, “We are not going to allow the western hemisphere to be used as a base of operation for adversaries and competitors and rivals of the United States…You cannot have the largest energy reserves the world under the control of adversaries.”
Waltz insisted there was “no war” and no invasion, and described the operation as simply a “law enforcement” action. He claimed the U.S. had simply carried out a surgical arrest, facilitated by the military, of “indicted fugitives of American justice.” How very Putin-esque.
Let’s be clear: this was a large-scale military strike on a sovereign nation, followed by the abduction of its head of state. Calling it law enforcement does not change what it was.
Speaker after speaker condemned the United States. China’s deputy ambassador said Beijing was “deeply shocked” and “strongly condemns” what he called unilateral, illegal, and bullying acts by Washington. He warned that the U.S. had trampled Venezuela’s sovereignty and violated the most basic principles of the UN Charter, including the prohibition on the use of force. He urged the immediate release of Maduro and his wife and called for de-escalation and dialogue.
That message was echoed across regions. The Danish ambassador delivered one of the most pointed interventions, reminding the Council that the inviolability of borders is not negotiable. Since the Venezuela attack, Trump has ramped up his threats against Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Russia, hardly a neutral actor given its own conduct, seized the opening Trump handed it. Moscow’s ambassador accused Washington of unparalleled cynicism and of barely concealing its true aim: unbridled control over Venezuela’s natural resources. He condemned what he called U.S. armed aggression and demanded the release of Venezuela’s “legitimately elected president.” The hypocrisy was obvious. But this represents yet another disastrous part of the fallout of Trump’s actions. When the United States violates the rules it once insisted upon, it loses any ability to credibly call out others who do the same, handing our adversaries like Russia and China an open lane to do as they please.
The isolation of the U.S. position was complete.
There was no chorus of allies rising to Trump’s defense. Instead, the UN’s own leadership weighed in. Through Under-Secretary-General Rosemarie DiCarlo, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern that international law had not been respected. The statement emphasized the prohibition on the threat or use of force and warned that the maintenance of international peace depends on adherence to the Charter by all member states, especially permanent members of the Security Council.
While all of this unfolded, Trump continued posting. And posting. And posting more. Voter fraud conspiracies, recycled long-disproven claims about voting machines, random images and memes, blah blah blah. At the same time, MAGA-aligned media and Republican officials moved in lockstep to provide cover. They repeated the “law enforcement” propaganda line, invoked Teddy Roosevelt, and pretended the invasion was about stopping drugs rather than seizing oil, even though Trump himself has said otherwise.
They claimed Trump was “stabilizing the region” and that Americans were safer because of the operation. None of them grappled with the reality that Trump has rejected Venezuela’s democratic opposition, sidelined leaders who actually won elections, and signaled a willingness to work with figures from the existing regime so long as they deliver oil. What we’re witnessing aren’t figures looking to restore democracy to Venezuela, but rather ones who are engaged in authoritarian dealmaking to enrich oligarchs.
Leaders across Europe, Asia, and Latin America have condemned the United States. Joint statements from countries including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and Uruguay warn against any attempt by Trump to run Venezuela or exploit its resources. Japan’s prime minister cautioned that challenges to the international order are accelerating. Britain’s prime minister made clear that Greenland’s future belongs only to Greenland and Denmark, standing with Copenhagen against Trump’s threats.
I’ll be honest. Watching the Security Council session as an American was painful. The country that once championed a rules-based order is now being cited as the example of what not to do. But the stakes are too high for us to look away.
Here’s some other news we’re tracking:
Greenland’s prime minister warned Trump’s threats against the country must be taken seriously, and stated that if the United States attacks another NATO country, “everything stops.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth censured Senator Mark Kelly, cut his military pension, threatened demotion, and warned of possible criminal prosecution after Kelly urged service members to obey their oath.
Sen. Kelly responded: “If Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in our country’s history, thinks he can intimidate me with a censure or threats to demote me or prosecute me, he still doesn’t get it. I will fight this with everything I’ve got — not for myself, but to send a message back that Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump don’t get to decide what Americans in this country get to say about their government.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he is dropping out of the governor’s race, with Senator Amy Klobuchar expected to run for the seat..
In federal court, Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty, telling the judge, “I am a decent man, the president of my country.”
Thanks for watching and reading. Look out for Ron Filipkowski’s bulletin with all the day’s news later today. Thanks for subscribing and spreading the word.
