OAN Staff Blake Wolf
9:09 AM – Sunday, January 4, 2026
War Secretary Pete Hegseth proclaimed that the Venezuelan invasion is the “exact opposite” of the war in Iraq as Democrats and skeptical Republicans raise concerns.
In a Saturday interview with CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil, Hegseth was asked whether Americans would wake up to the news of the invasion and be “ripped back 20 years to another American president, another U.S. intervention. I’m thinking of the war in Iraq, and that led to a significant loss of U.S. treasure and of U.S. blood.”
“Many of the president’s own supporters tonight are wondering, ‘How is this, this time around, going to be different? And how is it in the U.S. interest?” Dokoupil questioned.
In response, Hegseth argued that the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro represents a departure from previous administrations’ neoconservative foreign policy and a strong step towards the reestablishment of the Monroe Doctrine.
“I mean, we spent decades and decades and spent, purchased in blood, and got nothing economically in return and President Trump flips the script. He says, ‘Through strategic action, we can ensure that we have access to additional wealth and resources, enabling a country to unleash that without having to spend American blood,’” Hegseth stated.
“This was a bold and audacious move, but it was thought through, it was well-orchestrated; our military had time to set it up. He provided the resources and then he took that bold stroke, and through it, we flipped that very dynamic and Americans will benefit,” he continued.
“Venezuela has a long history of being a rich and prosperous country. It’s been stolen away from its people by horrific leadership. We can do both help them and help the United States in the western hemisphere by reestablishing the Monroe Doctrine. Peace through strength with our allies — as was demonstrated last night and I think the hemisphere — I know the hemisphere will benefit from President Trump’s bold action,” Hegseth added.
Meanwhile, Democrat leaders have expressed concern over the move due to the president ordering military action without Congressional approval, and the administration’s proposed plan to run the country in the interim.
“The administration has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“Clearly, they are not being straight with Americans. The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans. The American people have seen this before and paid the devastating price,” Schumer continued.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries added that the “promotion of security and stability in a region requires more than just military force as we painfully discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) also expressed skepticism from a Republican perspective, questioning the charges brought against Maduro in the recently unsealed indictment.
“If this action were constitutionally sound, the Attorney General wouldn’t be tweeting that they’ve arrested the President of a sovereign country and his wife for possessing guns in violation of a 1934 U.S. firearm law,” Massie wrote on Saturday. “25 page indictment but no mention of fentanyl or stolen oil. Search it for yourself.”
“Wake up MAGA. VENEZUELA is not about drugs; it’s about OIL and REGIME CHANGE. This is not what we voted for,” Massie added.
Additionally, Hegseth remained non-committal on whether the United States will deploy military personnel into Venezuela to enforce President Donald Trump’s vision of running the country before transitioning power to a U.S.-approved leader.
When asked whether he is prepared to send American troops on the ground in Venezuela, Hegseth stated that President Trump will “set the terms, and ultimately, he’ll decide what the iterations are of that.”
“We’re going to control what happens next. Because of this brave decision, President Trump has shown American leadership, and he’ll be able to dictate where we go next.”
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