President Trump can’t even run America. How will he run Venezuela? | Opinion
Running Venezuela
I don’t recall “Running Venezuela” being a part of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. Regardless, here we are. Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth, Trump and the military generals spent months planning a military operation culminating in the removal of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his wife. Months. I have to ask, couldn’t they have at the same time, concocted a plan for running the country once we absconded with its leader? Guess that’s too much planning for a “Man of Action,” as Trump is now being described.
Side note: it’s being reported that Venezuela’s’ oil infrastructure is in shambles. Estimates as high as $10 billion dollars a year — for at least 10 years — will be needed to elevate production to pre-1974 levels. And most oil companies will not invest until stability in Venezuela can be guaranteed.
Another side note: A recent political cartoon posed the question, how did “our” oil end up under Venezuela? The whole thing sounds to me like a deal only the best dealmaker in the history of the world could pull off.
Ross DeAeth, Lexington
Bombing Venezuela
The United States was wrong to bomb the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, and kidnap its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
This was an illegal invasion of a sovereign and independent nation. It was also an illegal and illegitimate kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro. It is unconstitutional because Congress was never notified.
There is no evidence that Maduro is a narco-terrorist or a drug trafficker. There is no evidence that Maduro supports terrorism.
The main reasons President Donald Trump carried out this illegal criminal action against Venezuela is to control and steal Venezuelan oil and to distract the American public from the Epstein files investigation. It had nothing to do with drugs.
Trump cannot even run the United States. Now, he thinks he can also “run” Venezuela. The United States needs to leave Venezuela and other countries alone.
The number one terrorist in the world is US imperialism!
Brandon Harris, Boonville, Ind.
Not about drugs
On March 3, 2024, the former President of Honduras was convicted of weapons charges and drug trafficking which involved 400 tons of cocaine entering the U.S. Do a search of the horrendous conditions in Honduras during his term in office. In June 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison. In November 2025, President Trump gave him a full pardon, and he was a free man in December.
In January 2026, the U.S. launched a massive military action to capture the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, and bring them to the US to be prosecuted for alleged drug trafficking. Do a search of the horrendous conditions in Venezuela during Maduro’s term in office. Maduro is currently under an indictment in the Southern District of New York.
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world — 303 billion barrels. Saudi Arabia is second. Honduras does not even make the list of 42 countries with known oil reserves.
Is this really about drugs? Trump indicated that Venezuela’s oil wealth was a key factor not only in his decision to attack, but also in pledging that the United States would “run” Venezuela for the foreseeable future.
Marilyn Daniel, Versailles
Trump’s new low
Can it get any worse? Every time President Donald Trump reaches a new level of low, he goes even lower and gets even nuttier. His hand-picked puppets on the U.S. Supreme Court told America that Trump can do anything he wants to do while he’s president. And boy, is he taking advantage of it.
Trump can’t even run his own country, how the hell is he and his unqualified troupe of professional butt kissers going to run Venezuela? Trump can’t even pretend this is really about drugs anymore. There is documented proof that shows this was always about the oil. Trump called the oil industry CEO’s and told them to “Get ready. I’m about to make a move on (Venezuelan President Nicholas) Maduro!” Not one call to Congress – which is what he was supposed to do. It’s U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., and the Congressional Republicans fault. It’s the Supreme Court’s fault.
Have you seen grocery prices lately? When is this going to stop? Trump is trying to pull strings for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s robbing our social service programs to pay for tax cuts for rich people and build giant entertainment halls.
Yolanda Averette, Lexington
Barr’s allegiances
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., has once again left it to other Kentucky Republicans to do the right thing, while he grovels for his own personal reward. While Barr posts full-throated approval of President Donald Trump’s conduct in Venezuela (still working every day to win Trump’s endorsement of him in the upcoming Senate race), U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, both R-Ky., are forcefully urging other Republicans in Congress to exercise control over the war powers, which under our laws belong to Congress, not the President.
Barr’s failure to do his job, once again, is familiar, just as when he let Elon Musk and DOGE plunder and steal taxpayers’ personal information from government records.
This time Barr’s failure, his complete abdication of the war powers, is also extremely dangerous.
Anne Chesnut, Lexington KY
Coal jobs
When U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., first ran for Congress in 2012 against Ben Chandler, he made a big deal about bringing coal jobs back to Kentucky. Now in his desperate effort to appear relevant, he is again touting his support of a dying industry.
Let’s look at what he has accomplished. In 2012, Kentucky mines employed 14,083; in 2025, they employed less than 3,800. Good job, Barr.
Coal is an industry of the past and there is nothing Barr, President Donald Trump or the rest of the GOP can do about it.
Howard Stovall, Lexington
More lies about coal
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr’s claim that Barack Obama and Joe Biden waged a “war on coal” is a lie, and he repeats it knowing it is false.
Coal’s decline in Eastern Kentucky began long before Obama took office. Coal employment started falling in the late 1990s as cheaper natural gas displaced coal, Appalachian mining costs rose, and automation eliminated jobs. By 2009, coal in Pike, Harlan, and Letcher counties was already in long-term decline.
No president banned coal mining or ordered coal plants shut down. Coal remained legal under Obama, Trump, and Biden.
When regulations were rolled back under Donald Trump, coal jobs did not return. That proves the “war on coal” narrative is a lie.
Sincerely,
Edmund Gregory McNulty, Lexington
Empire age
According to averages, the length of time that empires last is approximately 250 years. This average is based upon hundreds of empires that have existed over thousands of years. Accordingly, there are eight stages of the rise and fall of these empires — from bondage to spiritual growth; from spiritual growth to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; and from dependence back to bondage.
As dependency increases, so does centralized power. With such dependency people become increasingly dysfunctional and desperate looking for strong leadership. With that stage of strong centralized power, it is proven that such power corrupts thus eventually leading to a slow decline of the empire.
Welcome to 2026 — the 250th anniversary of America.
Bob Sutton, Springfield
Edited by Liz Carey