Overview
- On CNN, Stephen Miller replied "Damn straight we did" when told the United States invaded Venezuela and seized Nicolás Maduro, casting the move as unapologetic superpower policy.
- Jake Tapper ended the interview after a heated exchange over whether Venezuela should hold elections and why opposition leader María Corina Machado was dismissed as a potential interim leader.
- Clips of the interview spread widely on social media as critics condemned Miller’s defense of the operation as imperialist and praised Tapper’s pushback.
- Sen. Mark Kelly criticized Miller’s comments and said the administration lacks a plan, urging a strategy to restore democratic governance in Venezuela.
- The interview followed a U.S. operation that removed Maduro and extradited him and Cilia Flores to face narco-terrorism charges, with President Trump also saying the U.S. will be strongly involved in Venezuela’s oil industry.