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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Former Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has warned that the Trump administration's military action in Venezuela could set a precedent for other countries.
Speaking on The View on Wednesday, Greene said that if Trump could justify capturing President Nicolás Maduro, other countries may also justify their own foreign military interventions.
"If it's ok to go into Venezuela and Maduro, then why are we telling China you can't go and take Taiwan? Why are we telling Russia you can't go take Ukraine? Who are we to tell any country anything?," she said.
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At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed last week during the U.S. military raid, codenamed Operation Absolute, to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilla Flores.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment by email outside of normal business hours.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. military action in Venezuela, along with the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, risk escalating tensions between the U.S. and its adversaries.
Russia said the U.S. was generating "acute international crisis situations," and called the seizure of the Marinera vessel, originally named Bella 1, an "illegal use of force."
The Russian foreign ministry said: "The result of the Marinera incident can only be a further increase in military-political tension in the Euro-Atlantic area, as well as a visible lowering of the 'threshold for the use of force' against peaceful shipping."
What To Know
Greene told The View that the U.S. military action in Venezuela was "not working" as a narrative for people aligned with America First.
She also said that "drugs killing Americans is a serious issue," but added that "Venezuela's not even in the top 10 when it comes to drugs being imported in the U.S."
"So you can't hold Maduro accountable and not hold Mexican cartels accountable who are number one," she said.
She also told NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday that she wanted "domestic policy" to be prioritized. "This is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn't serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks, and the oil executives," she said.
"I want to see domestic policy be the priority that helps Americans afford life after four disastrous years of the Biden administration."
Greene's comments come after she resigned from Congress in November after having split with Trump on several key issues, including his foreign policy decisions.
She previously called Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide, and urged her colleagues to support ending the supply of weapons to the Israeli armed forces. She also cautioned against involvement in Iran and criticized Trump for sending weapons to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, other Republicans also appeared skeptical of Trump's motivations in Venezuela. Representative Thomas Massie wrote on X: "Wake up MAGA. VENEZUELA is not about drugs; it’s about OIL and REGIME CHANGE. This is not what we voted for."
He added: "It's not American oil. It's Venezuelan oil. Oil companies entered into risky deals to develop oil, and the deals were canceled by a prior Venezuelan government. What's happening: lives of US soldiers are being risked to make those oil companies (not Americans) more profitable."
What People Are Saying
Greene told NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday: "This is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn't serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks, and the oil executives. I want to see domestic policy be the priority that helps Americans afford life after four disastrous years of the Biden administration."
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country."
The Venezuelan government said in a statement: "Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory."
What Happens Next
Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the U.S. on federal drug trafficking charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty. Trump said his administration will "run" Venezuela for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has scheduled the special election to replace Greene for March 10.
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