Recent remarks from both Trump and Rubio have presented a confusing picture regarding U.S. involvement in Venezuela. On one hand, it seems like the U.S. might be pulling the strings of Venezuelan power, while on the other, there’s an assurance that the U.S. will not be directly managing day-to-day affairs, allowing Maduro’s officials to stay in leadership roles for the time being.

Following a briefing with Rubio late Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson informed reporters that he does not anticipate the deployment of U.S. troops to Venezuela.

This ambiguity surrounding Venezuela is particularly striking given Trump’s campaign promises to disentangle the U.S. from foreign conflicts, a stance that resonates with his “Make America Great Again” base. Many supporters are now questioning what the administration’s true intentions are regarding Venezuela.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky, known for occasionally opposing his party’s alignment with Trump, took to social media platform X after the operation, urging MAGA supporters to pay attention.

“VENEZUELA is not about drugs; it’s about OIL and REGIME CHANGE. This is not what we voted for,” Massie declared.

Senator Rand Paul, another Republican from Kentucky who frequently voices skepticism over military interventions, commented that only time will reveal whether the push for regime change in Venezuela can succeed without incurring significant financial or human costs.

“Easy enough to argue such policy when the action is short, swift and effective but glaringly less so when that unitary power drains of us trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, such as occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam,” he wrote on social media.

In addition to the Venezuela operation, Trump is preparing to take the helm of an as-yet unformed Board of Peace to run post-war Gaza, involving the United States in yet another Mideast engagement for possibly decades to come.

And yet, as both the Iraq and Afghanistan experiences ultimately proved, no amount of planning guarantees success.