In a sharp rebuke of congressional Democrats, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) defended the Trump administration’s unfolding strategy in Venezuela this week, arguing that opposition to “Operation Absolute Resolve” is driven more by partisan politics than policy substance.
Appearing on Bloomberg’s Balance of Power, the Florida Republican urged patience regarding the political transition in Caracas, warning that rushing toward “snap elections” could inadvertently destabilize the country and return it to dictatorship.
“We need to take a step back, take a beat, let President Trump work and do what is necessary,” Donalds said. He emphasized that establishing the right ground conditions is a prerequisite for any democratic process, deferring to the judgment of the President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the timeline for engaging with Venezuelan leadership.
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Donalds reserved his harshest criticism for Democrats who have come out against the operation. He accused colleagues across the aisle of “code-switching”—altering their stance on Nicolás Maduro solely because it was a Trump-led initiative that removed him.
“It is clear that you had Democrats who almost unanimously condemned Nicolás Maduro under the past administration, wanted to see action against Nicolás Maduro during Joe Biden’s presidency, and there was no action,” Donalds stated. “Donald Trump took action. Maduro is going to be held accountable, and now all of a sudden, they’re code-switching simply because their guy didn’t do it.”
Looking beyond the current turmoil, Donalds painted an optimistic picture of a post-Maduro Venezuela, envisioning a “free and bustling society” rooted in property rights and individual liberty—concepts he noted were dismantled under the regimes of Maduro and Hugo Chávez.
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Donalds also expressed hope that the geopolitical shift in Venezuela could trigger a domino effect of liberalization across the region, specifically citing Colombia, Nicaragua, and Cuba as nations that could follow suit in a “move of liberty.”
Defending the administration’s track record, Donalds claimed Trump’s foreign policy decisions in both his first and current terms have been “far better than any president in the last 35 years.”
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