This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 279.

… Trump ordered a military invasion of Venezuela with special forces to remove President Nicolas Maduro to the US where he is under criminal indictment. Trump made it clear in subsequent statements that this was primarily about taking control of the govt in order the seize Venezuela’s oil assets. Here are some quotes from Trump to various outlets in the 24 hours following the attack:

• “I mean, I watched it literally l like I was watching a television show. If you would’ve seen the speed, the violence - it was an amazing thing.”

• Trump on his justification for the invasion: “All the way back it dated to the Monroe Doctrines. And the Monroe Doctrine is a big deal. But we’ve superseded it by a lot. By a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Document. I don’t know. It’s Monroe Doctrine. We sort of forgot about it.”

• Trump on opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize and has been sucking up to Trump for months thinking he was going to put her in power: “I think it’d be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman but she doesn’t have the respect.”

• Q - Who would run Venezuela, then? Trump: “It is largely going to be the people standing right behind me. We are going to be running it.” (Rubio, Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine were behind him).

• “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. We are going to have our very large US oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”

• Q - You said the US is going to run Venezuela. Who is in power right now?
  Trump: “We are going to be running it with a group and we will make sure it is run properly. We will rebuild the oil infrastructure. It will cost billions of dollars and be paid for by the oil companies directly. They will be reimbursed for what they are doing.”

• Q - How long do you expect the US to run Venezuela? Trump: “I would like to do it quickly but it takes time. Their infrastructure is rotted. It is very dangerous. Oil is very dangerous. We will take a lot of money out so we can take care of the country.”

• Q - Do you envision the US military having a presence in Venezuela as the US runs that country? Trump: “We are going to have a presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil. We are going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground. It goes also to the US in the form of reimbursement for the damages caused us by that country.”

• Q - Will US troops be on the ground? How will that work? Trump: “We are not afraid of boots on the ground. We had boots on the ground last night. We are not afraid of it. We’re going to run the country right. It’s going to make a lot of money. They stole our oil.”

• “It will not cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is substantial. We’re going to take back the oil.”

• Q - You said Maduro is responsible for drug trafficking. You recently pardoned the former president of Honduras convicted of drug trafficking. Can you explain these situations? Trump: “He was treated like the Biden admin treated a man named Trump. This was a man persecuted very unfairly. He was the head of the country. He was persecuted very unfairly.”

… Trump’s former NSA John Bolton on CNN: “The most stunning part about the press conference was probably saying the US was going to run the country. But the second most stunning was the assault on Mrs. Machado, the leader of the Democratic forces.”

… The Atlantic: “Trump issued a not-so-veiled threat against the new Venezuelan leader, VP Delcy Rodríguez, saying that ‘if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.’ Trump made clear that he would not stand for what he described as Rodríguez’s defiant rejection of the armed US intervention that resulted in Maduro’s capture. The severe tone he took with Rodríguez contrasted with the praise he had offered her yesterday.”

… Hegseth: “Nicolas Maduro. He F’d around and he found out. America can project our will anywhere, any time.”

… The Economist on Trump refusing to back opposition leader Machado: “Venezuelans at celebration parties in Miami could not believe it, insisting that Trump had misspoken. His plan appears to be for Venezuela to remain under the day-to-day rule of a senior chavista, with its democratically elected leaders excluded and its wealth controlled by American corporations.”

… I’m only surprised they were surprised. They might not want to resume their celebration either since Trump plans to send them all back now. Jobs may be available in the oil industry though.

… Trump was asked if Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum could be next: “The cartels are running Mexico. She’s not running Mexico. We could be politically correct and be nice and say, ‘Oh, yes, she is.’ No no. She’s very frightened of the cartels. They’re running Mexico. And I’ve asked her number times, ‘Would you like us to take out the cartels?’ Something is gonna have to be done with Mexico.”

… Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN): “God bless this president of peace, Donald J. Trump.”

… Rubio claimed on NBC that they did not need to notify Congress because this really wasn’t a military action: “This was not an attack on Venezuela. This was a law enforcement function to capture an indicted drug trafficker and think, we needed the Dept of War to support it.”

… Rubio: “Read the indictment. This guy used the levers of their security apparatus to facilitate the trafficking of drugs. Q - Yet, the president pardoned the former president of Honduras who was starting a 45-year sentence for trafficking more than 500 tons of cocaine. Rubio: I don’t do the pardon file. I can’t speak to the dynamics that led the president to make the decision he made.”

… Q - Is the Cuban govt the next target? Rubio: “The Cuban govt is a huge problem. Q - Is that a yes? Rubio: I think they are in a lot of trouble. Yes.”

… Rubio then went on ABC: Q - “Sen Warner said you cannot credibly argue that drug trafficking charges demand invasion in one case while issuing a pardon in another. What's your response? Rubio: In the case of Maduro, look, it's very simple. This guy was indicted. Host - Hernandez was convicted by a jury. Rubio: I can't just comment on it because I just wasn't involved in those deliberations. Q - Do you support it? Rubio: I wasn't involved in those deliberations. I haven't looked at the case file. I haven't looked at the arguments made by—I've got a bunch of other things going on.”

… Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) on MS NOW: “This pretext about trying to bring Maduro to justice for his drug trafficking is bogus, because the Honduran president was just pardoned for the same thing.”

… Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) to Meidas: “This is clearly us starting another forever war -which the American people do not support. It’s very clear this is not about drugs. Trump, in the press conference, was stunning in just straight up admitting this is a war for oil, and that he is willing to send our blood and treasure, our tax dollars, and our precious young men and women to ‘run Venezuela,’ whatever the hell that means, with no plan.”

… Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) on CNN: “When we had briefings on Venezuela, we asked, ‘Are you going to invade the country?’ We were told no. ‘Do you plan to put troops on the ground in Venezuela?’ We were told no. ‘Do you intend regime change in Venezuela?’ We were told no. So in a sense, we have been briefed, we have just been completely lied to.”

… Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on Fox: Q - “What are your expectations when you get briefings from senior Trump admin officials in the coming days? Gallego: Well, they’re just going to lie.”

… El Salvador President and concentration camp warden Nayib Bukele responded to Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s post objecting to the invasion without consultation with Congress: “So you just want to defend thugs?”

… Gallego responded to Bukele: “So if the next president of the US executes a warrant to extradite you to the US using Delta Force you would be OK with that?”

… Fox national security correspondent: “It is notable again that the president was talking about wanting peace. And last year, the US struck 7 different countries around the world. That does not include the dozens of strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific against those alleged drug boats.”

… NYT columnist David French: “The prior political and diplomatic order was always imperfect and failed in many ways, but creating political, diplomatic, and military roadblocks to aggressive war (congressional action, UN resolutions, mutual defense treaties, etc.) has helped restrain military force, prevent large-scale war, and created an environment where a case had to be made to Congress and the public that military action was legal, moral, and in the national interest.”

… “Panama and Grenada aren’t close to comparable situations. And the legal reasoning supporting the president’s actions is circular and permits presidents to bootstrap prosecutions into armed conflict entirely on their own authority. That’s incredibly dangerous.”

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… ABC: “Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing Maduro in a raid isn’t likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices. Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions, so it could take years and major investments before production can increase dramatically.”

… Oil industry analyst Patrick De Haan: "While many are reporting Venezuela's oil infrastructure was unharmed by US military actions, it has been decaying for many many years and will take time to rebuild.”

… “There is currently a surplus of oil on the global market. Venezuela is known to have the world's largest proven crude oil reserves of approximately 303 billion barrels. That accounts for roughly 17% of all global oil reserves.”

… Business Insider: “A group of about 20 US investors is already planning to travel to Venezuela in March, following news that Maduro had been taken into US custody. Charles Myers, chairman of Signum Global Advisors: ‘I think the centerpiece of Venezuela’s success, looking out 12 months or even 24 months, is foreign investment. A big part of the Venezuela story, starting today, is foreign investment, especially in oil and gas, which is pretty straightforward, but there are massive opportunities in construction, in tourism.’”

… “Myers said it’s not the responsibility of his firm to take a ‘moral position’ on whether it was right or wrong for the US to involve itself in Venezuela’s govt, but rather to help the firm’s clients anticipate investment opportunities or mitigate risk due to geopolitical events.”

… Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA): “Big Oil spent millions and millions to get Trump elected. They’re getting a great return on their investment.”

… Rep. Dan Goldman: “Trump promised oil executives that if they gave him $1 billion for his campaign, that he would do right by them. And they gave about 500 million. And this is a massive gift that is in violation of international law and is essentially just co-opting an entire country’s natural resources for the benefit of US companies.”

… Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO): “All I can think about is the 20 years, trillions of dollars, thousands of American lives that we spent in Iraq and Afghanistan without votes, without accountability, without Congress putting an end to it, trying to nation build. And here we are once again, toppling a foreign regime in control, trying to run a foreign country for its oil.”

… Marge Greene on NBC: “After this regime change in Venezuela, I fear that we’re going to see jobs just move south because we’re already hearing about big corporations lining up their trips to Venezuela for the next big business opportunity that exists while Americans sit here with no options that are going to provide them with good paying jobs and affordable health care.”

… Sen. Ruben Gallego: “This is a dumb admin following a dumb man into a dumb war.”

… Bloomberg: “Trump’s capture of Maduro sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with many users saying the operation offered a template for how Beijing could handle tensions with Taiwan. Trump’s operation shot to the top of China’s Weibo late Sat, with the topic gaining some 440 million views on the platform. Many commentators were quick to make comparisons between the fate of the South American nation and that of the self-ruled democracy Beijing has vowed to claim.”

… One viral post: “I suggest using the same method to reclaim Taiwan in the future. Since the US doesn’t take international law seriously, why should we care about it?”

… Another: “The US imperialists’ lightning raid on Venezuela to capture Maduro and his wife provides a perfect blueprint for our military to launch a surprise attack on Frog Island and seize Lai Ching-te.”

… “China’s Foreign Ministry urged the US to release Maduro and his wife and ensure their safety. The raid on Venezuela violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, as well as the principles of the UN Charter, it said in a statement. Earlier, the ministry said it was ‘deeply shocked’ by the ‘blatant use of force against a sovereign state.’”

… House Oversight Dems: “We are sure it’s just a coincidence, but today is the statutory date for DOJ to explain its redactions in the Epstein file productions. We have not forgotten, and we won’t let up - regardless of the President’s new unconstitutional actions.”

… IL Gov. JB Pritzker: “Never has a President wagged a dog harder than Trump and MAGA now. To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses, Trump is plunging this country into a war and using our soldiers as pawns. Look at every promise Trump made when he ran for President - and see how he has done the exact opposite of what he said he would do.”

…Daily Beast: “Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who have been spearheading the campaign to pressure the Trump admin to release the Epstein files, announced that they would bypass DOJ to demand that all of the files be made public by asking the Southern District of NY to appoint a ‘special master’ to ensure all of the documents are released.”

… The pair is also seeking to hold AG Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress, which would result in her being fined for every day that the DOJ fails to release the files in their entirety. DOJ estimates it won’t finish reviewing the remaining files until at least Jan. 20: “We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible.”

… Khanna on MS NOW: “Why is our president spending so much time talking about Argentina, Venezuela, the Middle East? And he’s not spending time talking about Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin—what happened to the manufacturing jobs? What happened to lowering prices from day one? It just makes him look totally out of touch.”

… The Independent: “In an effort to make a splash and gain some publicity for his debut, CBS is sending Tony Dokoupil out on a 10-city ‘Live From America’ cross-country kickoff tour during his first two weeks in the chair. Throughout his swing through the nation, CBS Evening News will broadcast from cities such as Miami, Dallas, Detroit, Cincinnati before wrapping things up in Pittsburgh.”

… “Bari Weiss is planning on chartering a private plane to fly the team to each location for the tour this month, taking Dokoupil and CBS Evening News executive producer Kim Harvey on the flights. The increased involvement from Weiss on the CBS Evening News reboot in recent days has raised eyebrows over her desire to be on location for each telecast. That potential additional expense comes after the news network laid off roughly 100 employees and is preparing for more crippling cost cuts from owner David Ellison and Paramount.”

… A CBS staffer: “Nothing says ‘meeting Americans where they are’ by flying around the country on a private jet costing millions of dollars. And if her security detail is such a huge concern, why is she going? She could watch from the control room or on an actual TV like everyone else. Instead CBS has to foot the bill for her 5 security guards, private jet, and more guards with heavy weapons. Does she not understand how much journalism could be made with the money we’re instead spending on perks for her?”

… “As Weiss has continued to propose last-minute changes to the logistics for the tour for the show, which has included her own pitches and demands for location changes, staffers on the show have grown increasingly concerned that the relaunch will be a ‘car crash.’ Weiss has caused behind-the-scenes turmoil at the show with last-minute logistical changes for the tour. This has included requests to switch some of the outdoor locations to indoors for her own personal safety. Weiss – who is currently planning to be on location for each broadcast of the tour – has requested additional security for the telecasts, including heavily-armed guards.”

… “The show is also planning on light and fun segments known as ‘bon bons’ that will be spotlighted on social media. In a dizzying array of options, Dokoupil will either play soccer with Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham; ask locals if they call it the ‘Gulf of America’ or ‘Gulf of Mexico,’ party at one of the city’s exclusive nightclubs (either Club Space or LIV) or join a boat party that will see the anchor jet skiing with rapper DJ Khaled.”

… Guardian: “Joseph Tirrell was reaching the end of a vacation, and watching TV at home. He checked his email on his phone and saw a message from his employer, the DOJ. He thought it was strange that he was receiving email from the govt on his personal account. Inside was a message that he was being fired from his job as the top ethics official at the dept. The notice, signed by Pam Bondi, did not give a reason for his firing. Tirrell called his bosses at the dept, who at first seemed as surprised as he did, before eventually confirming that he had in fact been terminated.”

… Tirrell received word that Bondi was likely to be invited to a FIFA World Cup final in July 2025. Tirrell pre-emptively wrote to Bondi’s office saying that ethics rules prohibited her and her staff from accepting tickets to attend the event: “We got some questions like: ‘What if we’re doing this, and what if we’re doing that?’ And the answers were: ‘Probably not, no, you can’t go, you can’t do this’.”

… “Then Bondi’s office asked if she could attend if the president was there and he had a question about security at the event. Tirrell responded and recalled saying something along the lines of: ‘If the president’s there and he’s got a question about security at the event, the AG, can walk into the booth, and say: ‘Mr President, here’s what’s going on with security. Answer your question, sir? All right, excellent. Enjoy the game. I’ll be outside.’”

… Tirrell gave his advice the week before he was fired. Two days after he received notice of his dismissal, Bondi was photographed at the game with Trump. Tirrell: “Maybe the AG paid for that ticket or a ticket of her spouse, right? Maybe she sat in that box seat, facing the president and not watching the game right for 3 hours, was answering security questions. But, you know, come on, I know that’s not the case.”

… “Tirrell said the problems around Bondi accepting seats at the game were related to showing fair and impartial law enforcement, particularly because FIFA has an interest in the US immigration policy as travelers around the world arrive to watch the tournament.”

… Daily Mail: “A frightening recession indicator is flashing red - and Americans can see it all over Main Street. Experts said that a sudden surge in bankruptcies and store closures - hitting mom-and-pop shops, small restaurants, and local retailers - could be an early warning sign that the economy is starting to crack. Despite last-ditch efforts from owners, Subchapter V bankruptcies, a restructuring program created for small businesses, are on the rise.”

… “The bankruptcy filing is for companies with less than $3.4 million in debt. That means it exclusively represents the smaller shops that line America’s Main Streets.By the start of December, 2,221 US businesses had filed for Subchapter V bankruptcy. That was already more small business bankruptcies than the 2,211 filings through all of 2024, even with weeks still left on the calendar.”

… “The filings still represent a small fraction of America’s roughly 33 million small businesses, but economists say the acceleration - not the raw number - is what’s raising alarms. And the trend has gotten worse in the back half of 2025. In Aug alone, roughly 200 small businesses entered bankruptcy court - a 17% jump compared to the same month last year.

… Bankruptcy lawyer Joe Barsolana: “The little guys are going to start falling first. This is going to lead to a further increase in large-size bankruptcies and distress in the economy. We’re just seeing the start of this.”

… WaPo: “On Trump’s 14th consecutive day at Mar-a-Lago, his residence and private club here, his motorcade veered from the familiar route to his golf club and pulled into an industrial shopping center on the side of the highway. The leader of the free world had some shopping to do. As helicopters flew overhead, Secret Service sealed off the parking lot of Arc Stone & Tile so that the president could review samples of marble and onyx for a proposed WH ballroom project.”

… “Since arriving in Palm Beach early on the morning of Dec. 20, Trump has shifted much of his governing to what supporters call the ‘winter WH,’ hosting foreign leaders and advisers at the estate while also maintaining his regular golf schedule and social calendar. He has visited his nearby golf club 12 times in two weeks and hosted a New Year’s Eve party where guests bid $2.75 million on a live-painted portrait of Jesus.”

… Trump went golfing again today. He has played golf 13 out of the last 16 days.

… Trump reposted another deranged video on Truth Social from a right-wing influencer which suggested that Gov. Tim Walz had former Speaker of the MN House Melissa Hortman assassinated.

… Walz responded: “Dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States. In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed. America is better than this.”

… Nick Shirley, who posted the viral video on alleged health care fraud in MN by Somali immigrants, responded to Walz’s post: “Why was she killed after speaking out against illegal migrants? Was she a threat to you and your fraudster scheme?”

… Walz responded to Shirley: “My opponents have been celebrating this far-right YouTuber as a groundbreaking journalist. Here he reveals who he really is: a delusional conspiracy theorist.”

… Dan Bongino is now officially out as Dep. Director of the FBI, and looking to resume his illustrious podcasting career as a right-wing conspiracy theorist. End of an era.