Is this colonization or influence?

President Trump’s operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the ousted president of Venezuela, and his wife, seems to have been a military success. What is far less clear is what happens next. Stephen Stromberg, an editor in Opinion covering politics and economics, joins the columnists M. Gessen and David French to discuss the legality of America’s attack on Venezuela, the state of the global order and what “America first” means for MAGA now.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/05/opinion/trump-maduro-capture-venezuela.html