Venezuela reveals what Trump covets most

US Cabinet meeting. (Image: The Washington Post)

Sat, 06 Dec 2025

By Theodore R. JohnsonOf all the ways to understand President Donald Trump’s belligerence toward Venezuela – as a campaign against “narcoterrorists,” a play for its oil reserves, a desire to control the Western Hemisphere – the most overlooked is the outcome he covets more than all those things combined: greatness. For Trump, Venezuela is not just a geopolitical question. It is an opportunity to lead in war, a hallmark of presidents considered the nation’s best.The Pentagon’s postureNo one runs for...

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