The DSR Network Trump Wags a Venezuelan Dog. Or Is Something Else Going On Here?
Dec 17, 2025
Join Rosa Brooks, a law professor and foreign policy expert, Ed Luce, a Financial Times columnist, and David Sanger, a national security journalist, as they dissect Trump's provocative blockade against Venezuela. They delve into the shifting justifications for U.S. interventions, questioning whether this is a genuine threat or simply a political distraction. The trio also explores the implications for NATO and Russia's growing influence, proving that in geopolitics, there's always more than meets the eye.
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Conflicting Rationales For Venezuela Action
- The administration has offered many conflicting public rationales for action against Venezuela.
- David Sanger says pick your justification: migrants, drugs, oil, or regime change — none fully explain the naval buildup.
Legal Limits Shift If War Is Declared
- Rosa Brooks argues legal lines are blurred: many actions may be crimes but not necessarily war crimes absent a declared war.
- She notes starting a war would change legal exposure and could convert unlawful killings into war crimes.
Wag-The-Dog Seems Unconvincing
- Rosa Brooks and David Sanger question the 'wag the dog' distraction theory for Venezuela.
- Sanger sees Rubio, oil, and a hemispheric intervention mindset as more plausible drivers than an Epstein diversion.