Although U.S. President Donald Trump has recently ratcheted up pressure on Venezuela, the rationale for the pressure keeps shifting, sowing confusion in U.S. political circles. On the 19th, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Some aides are reluctant for President Trump to publicly support a regime change in Venezuela, but they are not sure what his ultimate goal is."
This month, tensions between the United States and Venezuela have further escalated. On the 16th, President Trump designated the Nicolás Maduro regime as a foreign terrorist organization and ordered a "total blockade" on sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. In directing these measures, he argued, "It is unacceptable for a hostile regime to seize America's oil or territory, and everything must be returned immediately."
Back in September, when the United States attacked a vessel in the Caribbean suspected of smuggling drugs, the Trump administration described it as an operation to expel Venezuelan gang members from U.S. territory. At the time, President Trump cited the Venezuelan gang "Tren de Aragua," urging, "Stop sending Tren de Aragua members to the United States and stop sending drugs into the United States." In the early phase, it put gangs and drug enforcement forward as the rationale for pressure.
When speculation arose then that President Trump was aiming for a change of the Maduro regime, he denied it. Asked whether he wanted regime change in Venezuela, President Trump drew a line, saying, "We are not talking about that."
More recently, however, he has made remarks hinting at regime change. Last month, in a phone call with President Maduro, President Trump warned that the United States could consider the use of force if he did not voluntarily relinquish power. And on the 10th, CNN also reported that the Trump administration was quietly drawing up contingency plans in case President Maduro is ousted.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a close aide to President Trump, also said in a Vanity Fair interview published on the 16th that Trump's goal is to drive Maduro from power. "(President Trump) wants to keep sinking ships until Maduro surrenders," Wiles said in the interview.
However, the Trump administration has not officially stated recently that the goal of its pressure on Venezuela is to topple the Maduro regime. According to the WSJ, experts say this is because Trump's foreign policy unfolds impulsively and attempting to overthrow a foreign government could lead to involvement in overseas conflicts he has long criticized.
With the rationale for Trump's pressure on Venezuela unclear, the mood in U.S. political circles is also unsettled. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado on the House Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, said, "If there is a consistent strategy (in the administration), Congress certainly hasn't heard it," adding, "We don't see an end goal."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, also criticized the administration's Venezuela policy as "confusing" after a closed-door briefing on the 16th by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and defense Minister Pete Hegseth, saying, "I want to know what's going to happen next. Is it policy to bring down Maduro? If not, it should be."
The WSJ said, "Some officials say that in internal administration discussions, multiple grounds for the pressure campaign are being raised at the same time, but they are not certain whether the White House is preparing for a war to topple the Maduro regime," adding, "The administration's recent actions on Venezuelan oil shipments are also fueling questions about President Trump's tactics and goals."