The U.S. military’s operation in Venezuela represents a major shift in how Washington is handling foreign threats, especially regimes aligned with America’s adversaries. While the action has triggered loud backlash from the left, supporters say taking the Venezuelan strongman off the board is a win for U.S. security and regional stability.
Rep. Michael Baumgartner, a Republican from Spokane, called the move historic.
“I think it’s a really impressive operation, and this is really a great day for America’s national security, for the Western Hemisphere and for the people of Venezuela,” Baumgartner told The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM. He described Nicolás Maduro as a “murderous dictator” and a drug trafficker who was “in bed with all of America’s enemies, including Iran, Hezbollah and China.”
Rejection of amnesia and shifting political rhetoric
The political fallout from the operation has seen shifting rhetoric from critics, with Baumgartner dismissing the changing talking points of those who previously questioned the evidence against Maduro but now condemn his removal as a kidnapping.
“Trump derangement syndrome seems to take many forms, but it seems to be that amnesia is certainly a strong aspect of it,” Baumgartner remarked.
He pointed out that the previous administration had already established a $25 million bounty on Maduro’s head and that he had been indicted by a grand jury in New York.
Baumgartner credited the effectiveness of the mission to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and noted that the current leadership has moved past the traditional mindset of the foreign policy establishment.
Local protests and the reality of the Venezuelan socialist concept
The conversation also touched on local reactions, specifically protesters in Seattle and Portland who demonstrated over the weekend to demand Maduro’s release. Baumgartner suggested these activists need to go outside and touch grass and understand the reality of the situation in Venezuela.
“If they’re defending Nicholas Maduro, they’re defending a dictator that imprisons people, that has impoverished his people,” Baumgartner stated. He argued that the socialist concept in Venezuela has facilitated drug trafficking and allowed adversaries like China to fund conflicts elsewhere.
Baumgartner added that for radical protesters, all they are doing is being against the president as a person, rather than focusing on good or bad policy.
Concerns over the Tim Walz legacy and potential fraud in Washington
Baumgartner also weighed in on the news that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced he is dropping his third run for governor. He was critical of Walz’s tenure, citing the fallout from a massive welfare scandal and his impact on the recent national ticket.
“I guess it’s a bad day for people that like jazz hands,” Baumgartner said. He called Walz an uncapable person and suggested that historians will look back at his campaign as a disaster.
Looking closer to home, Baumgartner expressed concern that similar issues could exist in the Pacific Northwest.
“I have a lot of worries about whether this fraud extends into Washington state as well too,” he noted, citing his intent to look into these programs through his oversight role in Congress.
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