We have seen two recent examples of the use of American hard power.
The first involves the gradual weakening of Venezuelan dictator, Nicolas Maduro, whose fraudulent leadership of that country allows an invasion of drugs to be manufactured there and then pumped into the bloodstream of the U.S., contributing to the deaths of 100,000 per year, almost double the number of 58,000 U.S. combat deaths during the entire Vietnam War.
The second involves the decision to strike ISIS terrorists in Nigeria who have been killing Christians and other religious adherents for years.
I will address them in that order.
The Trump Administration has deployed troops and special operations aircraft into the Caribbean to maintain pressure on dictator Maduro and his regime in Venezuela. Trump followed that up with a blockade of oil tankers in and out of the country to choke off revenue. He also closed Venezuelan airspace. This is to say nothing of strikes on drug boats making their way from Venezuela to the U.S.
I believe these seizures of Venezuelan crude oil are the most damaging blow to Maduro because it creates a financial crisis for a regime that runs on oil revenue. While the blowing up of drug boats is a necessary and intimidating step in destroying the drug trafficking cartels—estimates are that 105 narco-terrorists have been killed in strikes that have destroyed an estimated 30 drug boats speeding toward U.S. shores—the vast amounts of dollars from oil sales are far more significant. Sales of crude oil represent approximately 90% of Venezuela’s export income.
So, the seizure of oil tankers creates greater problems for Venezuela. The regime is simply going to run out of the money that funds its grip on power. For example, observers note that a recently seized tanker was carrying roughly $80 million of oil, equivalent to about 5% of what Venezuela spends monthly on imported goods, immediately creating the likelihood of shortages and a recession.
Let’s be clear. This is not “regime change.” The long-suffering Venezuelan people have been held hostage by a criminal enterprise purporting to be a government. Trump says “no longer.”
Turning now to ISIS in Nigeria, similar values and threats are at stake.
After stating repeatedly that he would move to protect the country’s Christian population, President Trump ordered a Christmas Day strike against ISIS in Nigeria. “The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight there was.”
Trump has vowed to block all aid and assistance to Nigeria if it “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” International observers have found that violence against Christians has increased in northern Nigeria as ISIS terrorists wage attacks on the country’s government and people. Trump Administration officials have indicated that the recent strike was due to both long term Christian genocide in the country as well as the killing of three Americans last week.
“Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,” Trump said in post.
Allow me to summarize.
The decisions surrounding American military engagement are influenced predominantly by U.S. national security interests, while cognizant of those of our allies, as well. The Trump Administration prioritizes actions it deems are necessary to protect its citizens, allies, and global interests. That is why arguments in favor of intervention against groups like ISIS in northern Nigeria and Maduro in Venezuela are typically based upon protecting Americans from dangers such as illegal drugs, countering terrorism, and generally preventing the spread of extremist ideologies.
Those are critically necessary and highly laudable goals. The effect is already evident. Hostile nations are already modifying their behavior in response to both interventions. Our allies are comforted and empowered.
Unlike past American presidents such as Barack Obama who in 2012 declared that the Syrian government’s gassing of its own people would cross a “red line,” but then did nothing when it occurred, President Trump unequivocally declares what he’s going to do and then does it. That is what American leadership looks like.