## The Rare Moment a Democrat Says “Welcome News”
You know what’s remarkable? When Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of all people, finds herself praising Donald Trump’s foreign policy. That’s not a sentence anyone expected to write in 2025, yet here we are.
The U.S. conducted surprise strikes in Venezuela Saturday night and captured Nicolás Maduro, the socialist dictator who’s spent years turning what should be one of South America’s wealthiest nations into a humanitarian catastrophe. And Wasserman Schultz, the Florida congresswoman who represents thousands of Venezuelan refugees, called it “welcome news.”
She’s right, of course. Maduro’s regime has been a masterclass in how socialism destroys everything it touches. Hyperinflation that makes your dollar look like monopoly money. Food shortages that force people to eat zoo animals. Political prisoners tortured for daring to speak up. Over seven million Venezuelans have fled their country since Maduro seized power. That’s not migration; that’s exodus.
## But Here Comes the “However”
Naturally, Wasserman Schultz couldn’t just take the win. She had to pivot to criticism about congressional notification, because heaven forbid we actually conduct a military operation without forming a committee first. “Cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,” she wrote on X, mixing her metaphors with her concerns about proper legislative procedure.
She’s worried about what comes next. Fair enough. Removing a dictator doesn’t automatically install democracy. We learned that lesson the hard way in Iraq and Libya. But there’s a difference between thoughtful concern and reflexive opposition, and too many on the left can’t tell them apart anymore.
## The “Illegal” Crowd Loses the Plot
While Wasserman Schultz offered measured support, other voices on the left immediately labeled Trump’s action “illegal.” Let that sink in. They’re more concerned about the legal niceties of capturing a brutal dictator than they are about the millions he’s oppressed.
This is where progressive ideology eats itself. They’ll champion human rights in one breath and then defend the sovereignty of a narco-state in the next. They’ll march for democracy and simultaneously question whether removing an authoritarian who rigged his own election might be, well, improper.
The mental gymnastics would be impressive if they weren’t so dangerous.
## What This Actually Means
Trump’s move sends a clear message to every two-bit dictator in our hemisphere: America’s back, and we’re not asking permission anymore. For years, Maduro thumbed his nose at us while his regime shipped drugs north and welcomed Chinese and Russian military advisors. He wasn’t just oppressing his own people; he was actively destabilizing the region.
The question now is whether Edmundo González, the rightful winner of Venezuela’s last election, can actually take power. That’s the hard part. Venezuela’s military is riddled with corruption. Its institutions are hollow shells. Rebuilding a functioning democracy from Maduro’s wreckage won’t happen overnight.
But you can’t rebuild anything with the tyrant still in charge. Sometimes you have to act first and deal with the complications later. That’s not recklessness; that’s leadership.
## The Bigger Picture Nobody Wants to Discuss
Venezuela should be a cautionary tale about where socialist policies lead. Instead, we’ve got American politicians pushing the same failed ideas that destroyed Caracas. Free healthcare, free college, government control of industry. Sound familiar?
The difference between success and catastrophe often comes down to who’s in charge when crisis hits. Trump saw an opening and took it. That’s the kind of decisive action that prevents problems from metastasizing into full-blown disasters.
Wasserman Schultz gets credit for recognizing that, even if she couldn’t help adding her concerns about process. At least she’s honest enough to call good news what it is. That’s more than most of her colleagues can manage these days.
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