National Defense

Pete Hegseth Asked How Venezuela Military Operation Differs From Iraq War

[Screenshot/Rumble/CBS News]

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil on Saturday that, unlike the Iraq War, the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro would “help the United States in the Western Hemisphere.”

American military forces, reportedly including the United States Army’s elite Delta Force, protected a law enforcement operation which arrested Maduro and his wife in Caracas early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump announced in a post on Truth Social. He noted that United States suffered no losses in the operation. Dokoupil raised the comparison to the Iraq War, which Hegseth served in, during the interview.

“In the aftermath of this successful mission, there were tears of joy in Caracas. In Miami, Venezuelan refugees obviously thrilled to see Maduro out of power, his capture,” Dokoupil, who is married to MS NOW host Katy Tur, said. “You can understand why, they’ve got all that oil and yet the country itself has skyrocketing prices his own people have been starving.”

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“And yet a meaningful number of Americans would wake up to this news and they would be ripped back 20 years to another American president, another U.S. intervention. I’m thinking of the war in Iraq, and that led to a significant loss of U.S. treasure and of U.S. blood,” Dokoupil continued. “Many of the president’s own supporters tonight are wondering, ‘How is this, this time around, going to be different? And how is it in the U.S. interest?'”

Trump supporters largely expressed support for Maduro’s removal and capture on X, though some raised concerns about Trump’s announcement the United States would “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be implemented.

“I mean, we spent decades and decades and spent, purchased in blood, and got nothing economically in return and President Trump flips the script. He says, ‘Through strategic action, we can ensure that we have access to additional wealth and resources, enabling a country to unleash that without having to spend American blood,'” Hegseth responded. “I mean, this was a bold and audacious move, but it was thought through, it was well orchestrated; our military had time to set it up. He provided the resources and then he took that bold stroke, and through it, we flipped that very dynamic and Americans will benefit.”

“Venezuela has a long history of being a rich and prosperous country. It’s been stolen away from its people by horrific leadership. We can do both help them and help the United States in the western hemisphere by reestablishing the Monroe Doctrine. Peace through strength with our allies — as was demonstrated last night and I think the hemisphere — I know the hemisphere will benefit from President Trump’s bold action.”