Overview
- White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller affirmed on CNN that the United States invaded Venezuela, answering, “Damn straight we did.”
- He framed the action as using American military power to secure national interests and to conduct the country as a superpower.
- President Trump had announced U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said deadly strikes were required to protect U.S. personnel during the extraction.
- Jake Tapper pressed Miller on Venezuela’s leadership, questioning the choice of interim leader Delcy Rodríguez over opposition figure María Corina Machado and whether elections would follow.
- Clips of the exchange circulated widely, drawing social-media criticism, and accounts conflicted over whether Tapper ended the interview or let Miller finish.