Trump Announces Donroe Doctrine Following Capture of Venezuela’s Maduro in New York
Updated (2 articles)
Operation Absolute Resolve Captures Maduro in New York The U.S. executed a meticulously planned raid named “Absolute Resolve,” deploying over 150 aircraft from 20 bases, including fifth‑generation fighters and drones, to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in New York City [1]. The operation faced no U.S. casualties, and the couple were placed in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn shortly after 9 p.m. ET [1][2]. Footage of helicopters over Caracas and an image of Maduro posted on the USS Iwo Jima underscored the mission’s high‑visibility propaganda component [1].
Trump Reframes Monroe Doctrine as Donroe Doctrine At a Mar‑a‑Lago press conference, President Trump declared the historic Monroe Doctrine “superseded” and introduced the “Donroe Doctrine,” positioning it as the guiding principle for the Maduro raid [1][2]. He framed the operation as a direct application of this new policy, linking it to U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere [1]. The terminology “Don‑roe Doctrine” appeared both in his remarks and in the National Security Strategy’s reference to a “Trump Corollary” [2].
National Security Strategy Codifies Trump Corollary The updated National Security Strategy explicitly cites a “Trump‑style addition” to the Monroe Doctrine, outlining goals to keep the Western Hemisphere “stable and well‑governed,” curb mass migration, and combat drug‑smuggling vessels [1][2]. This formal framing provides a doctrinal justification for future military actions and reinforces the administration’s hard‑line stance on regional security [1]. The strategy’s language signals a shift toward more assertive U.S. interventionism under the new doctrine [2].
Experts Question Political Implications of New Doctrine Scholars highlighted the Monroe Doctrine’s evolution from an 1823 anti‑European stance to a broader justification for U.S. interventions, warning that the “Trump Corollary” could deepen partisan divides [2]. Christopher Sabatini of Chatham House labeled the Donroe Doctrine a partisan agenda extending U.S. influence into its “backyard” [1]. Political scientists cautioned that invoking doctrine‑based rationales may strain the MAGA base and complicate disengagement from prolonged overseas commitments [2].
Sources (2 articles)
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[1]
Newsweek: Trump declares Donroe Doctrine after Maduro operation: Details Trump’s announcement of the Donroe Doctrine, the extensive “Absolute Resolve” raid, Maduro’s capture, and expert criticism of the doctrine’s partisan motives .
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[2]
AP: Monroe Doctrine cited as partial justification in Maduro arrest, Trump signals new corollary: Explores Trump’s framing of the arrest through the Monroe Doctrine, the emergence of a “Trump Corollary” in the National Security Strategy, and scholarly warnings about political fallout .
Timeline
Jan 1 – Jan 31 2025 – The U.S. Defense Department conducts months of covert planning and rehearsals for “Operation Absolute Resolve,” mobilizing more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases, including fifth‑generation fighters and drones, to prepare for a high‑risk capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro [1].
Jan 3 2026 (early hours, Saturday) – U.S. forces execute Operation Absolute Resolve, seizing Maduro and his wife in New York and transporting them to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn just before 9 p.m. ET; the mission suffers no U.S. casualties and is covered by fighter aircraft providing air‑cover during the extraction [1].
Jan 4 2026 (Mar‑a‑Lago press conference) – President Donald Trump announces the “Donroe Doctrine,” declaring that the historic Monroe Doctrine is “superseded…by a real lot” and that the new policy now guides U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere; he also frames the Maduro arrest as a direct application of the Monroe Doctrine, quipping that critics now call it “the Don‑roe Doctrine” [1][2].
Jan 4 2026 (National Security Strategy release) – The administration’s National Security Strategy formally incorporates a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States will “assert and enforce” its pre‑eminence to curb drug‑smuggling vessels, discourage mass migration, and keep the Western Hemisphere “reasonably stable and well‑governed” [1][2].
Jan 4 2026 (Trump’s Truth Social post) – Trump posts a photo of the captured Maduro on the deck of the USS Iwo Jima, while circulating footage shows U.S. helicopters hovering over Caracas and explosions in the Venezuelan capital, underscoring the operation’s visual propaganda impact [1].
Jan 4 2026 (expert commentary) – Christopher Sabatini of Chatham House labels the Donroe Doctrine a “partisan agenda” that extends U.S. control beyond resources into the political backyard of the Americas, warning that the doctrine politicizes foreign policy [1].
Jan 4 2026 (political science analysis) – Scholars caution that invoking a doctrine‑based justification for intervention could strain the MAGA coalition and complicate any future withdrawal from long‑term engagements, highlighting internal political risks for Trump’s base [2].
1823 – President James Monroe articulates the original Monroe Doctrine, asserting that the Western Hemisphere is closed to further European colonization or interference, a principle that later underpins U.S. regional interventions [2].
1904 (early 20th century) – President Theodore Roosevelt adds the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, expanding U.S. authority to intervene in Latin American affairs deemed “unstable,” establishing a precedent for future American hegemony in the region [2].
External resources (5 links)
- https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine (cited 1 times)
- https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/roosevelt-corollary (cited 1 times)
- https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26341039-national-security-strategy/?q=corollary&mode=search (cited 1 times)
- http://x.com/MegKinnardAP (cited 1 times)
- https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115832088990838303 (cited 1 times)