Late 1940s (post‑World War II) – The administration invokes the post‑World War II dissolution of empires, arguing that Western powers “sent welfare to former territories” and that today the United States must reverse that trend. This historical framing supplies an ideological justification for a more assertive U.S. global role. [5]

Late 1980s – A Justice Department memo from the late 1980s is cited to claim the president can deploy forces abroad to capture indicted individuals, providing a legal pretext for the upcoming Maduro raid. The memo expands the perceived scope of presidential war‑powers. [2]

Jan 6, 2026 – Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller tells CNN the world is “governed by strength, … force, … power,” and says the United States will “conduct ourselves as a superpower.” The comment follows a U.S. special‑forces operation that ousts Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, involving nearly 200 personnel, breaching Venezuelan sovereignty and bypassing congressional authorization. Miller links the raid to broader ambitions such as annexing Greenland for Arctic resources, signaling the first public articulation of the administration’s hard‑power doctrine. [4]

Jan 9, 2026 – President Trump tells the New York Times that only his own morality can limit his global ambitions, dismissing international law. He announces he will personally oversee Venezuela’s oil exports, directing revenues to benefit Venezuelans, and reiterates interest in acquiring Greenland for its rare‑earth minerals and strategic position. The White House brands the approach a modern Monroe Doctrine with a “Trump Corollary,” marking a shift toward unilateral hemispheric dominance. [3]

Jan 10, 2026 – In a New York Times interview, Trump repeats that his morality alone restrains his power. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt declares that U.S. leverage over Venezuela will dictate the country’s decisions, while Stephen Miller again asserts that the world runs on strength and force. Officials frame the Maduro raid as a law‑enforcement action, not a conventional war, and Vice President JD Vance dismisses a Senate war‑powers resolution as “fake and unconstitutional,” underscoring the administration’s view that traditional checks are irrelevant. [2]

Jan 15, 2026 – Stephen Miller, now White House chief of staff for policy, recalls warning a year earlier that Maduro was sending criminals to the United States, linking the claim to immigration policy and justifying aggressive action against Venezuela. After the Maduro operation, Spain and five Latin American nations issue a joint statement demanding non‑intervention and peaceful dispute resolution, highlighting regional diplomatic pushback. Senator Bernie Sanders condemns the Venezuela policy as “old‑fashioned imperialism,” reflecting domestic opposition. Miller’s social‑media posts criticize post‑war Western welfare policies as “reverse colonization,” reinforcing his hard‑line worldview. [5]

Jan 20, 2026 – Stephen Miller again frames the world as governed by power, reinforcing the administration’s hard‑edged foreign‑policy stance. Trump orders a wave of airstrikes across Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, and conducts a large raid that captures the Venezuelan president, illustrating a willingness to project military force globally. The administration announces it will effectively run Maduro’s Venezuela, with Senator Tom Cotton saying new leaders must meet American demands. Trump unveils sweeping tariffs as “economic warfare,” promising trillions in revenue but warning that costs will fall on American households. The Greenland proposal meets strong domestic backlash, with polling showing broad disapproval and congressional criticism. Nobel laureate Machado donates her medal to Trump, a symbolic gesture that underscores the administration’s use of diplomatic theater despite the Nobel committee’s claim the award is non‑transferable. [1]