SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith delivered a sharp rebuke to Democrats on Tuesday, calling out what he sees as hypocrisy in their criticism of the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
During a special edition of “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” the sports commentator argued that the political outrage over the operation makes little sense, considering the Biden administration had actively increased the reward for Maduro’s capture just last year.
According to the State Department, the first Trump administration placed an initial $15 million bounty on Maduro in 2020. In January 2025, the Biden administration raised that figure to $25 million, before the second Trump administration increased it to $50 million in August 2025.
READ: Dozens Of Cuban And Venezuelan Troops Killed In US Raid To Seize Maduro
For Smith, that bipartisan track record makes the current complaints inconsistent.
“If you got a bounty on his head and the Biden administration had a bounty on his head, and then another $50 million bounty on his head — 15 to 25 to 50 — once you got his ass, that’s not something to be complaining about, ’cause everybody was in on it,” Smith said. “Everybody was cool with it. If you’re cool with the bounty, you got to be cool with the capture.”
Smith highlighted the success of the mission regarding American safety. While seven service members were wounded, a Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News Digital that five have already returned to duty, with the remaining two recovering well.
“Not an American soldier died. Not one. Not an American citizen got harmed. Not one! Not one! Not one!” Smith said.
He noted that while he often dislikes President Trump’s style, he believes credit is due when a mission succeeds. “In the end, when it’s effective, it’s effective… That’s how you legitimately grill him when you diametrically oppose what he’s doing, because it makes sense. Because you’re not engaging in partisanship. You’re consistent.”
READ: “Flawless Execution”: AG Pam Bondi Reveals Legal Blueprint Behind Capture Of Maduro
Smith wasn’t the only voice questioning the Democratic response. Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams targeted Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday after she criticized the operation.
“Public safety is not a political game,” Adams wrote on X, responding to Harris. “You do not label someone a narco-dictator one year and then pretend he is no longer a threat the next simply because a different president is in office.”
Despite the history of the bounties, Congressional Democrats have pushed back. Lawmakers argued on Saturday that the administration lacked the legal authority to act without congressional approval and questioned whether using military force against the Venezuelan regime aligned with U.S. interests.
However, public sentiment appears to be shifting. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten noted on Tuesday that support for the operation has spiked post-mission.
READ: ‘It’s Going To Happen’: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Predicts Fall Of Cuban Regime By Next Year
“Pre-ousting, what you saw was the clear plurality of Americans opposed it — 47%,” Enten explained on “CNN News Central,” citing Reuters/Ipsos and Washington Post polling. “Just 21% supported it … After the ousting, look at that — the support through the roof. Now we’re talking about 37%, well within the margin of error right here of the opposition, 38%.”
While approval is rising, some hesitation remains. A Reuters poll published Monday found that while 65% of Republicans supported the capture, a majority of them—54%—expressed concern about the U.S. becoming too entangled in Venezuelan affairs.
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