Carville claims U.S. would be 'ripe for invasion' says if invading 'corrupt regime' was legitimate, Carville claims U.S. would be 'ripe for invasion' says if invading 'corrupt regime' was legitimate
Democratic strategist James Carville claimed the U.S. would be "ripe for invasion" if invading a "corrupt regime" was legitimate during a conversation about Venezuela on MS NOW.
Democratic strategist James Carville claimed Tuesday that the U.S. would be "ripe for invasion" if it were legitimate to invade a "corrupt" regime while discussing the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
"Look, if it was legitimate to invade a corrupt and an attempted authoritarian nation, then we better get troops on San Francisco and Boston — and all up and down the east and West Coast — because we would be ripe for invasion if somebody wanted to overturn a massively corrupt regime, which is, in my opinion, which we have here right this minute. And I think it’s unfolding right in front of us," Carville told MS NOW's Ari Melber.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Venezuela on Saturday and indicted Monday in the Southern District of New York on federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons-related offenses.
Carville argued that Democrats needed to speak out about who would benefit from the U.S. actions in Venezuela.
TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH
James Carville attends The New York Times DealBook Summit 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 3, 2025, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times)
"I think we should certainly hammer who benefits from this operation. We’re doing all this. Who’s going to be a winner? Is a deputy sheriff in some rural Iowa going to be the winner here? Is a dental hygienist in western Montana going to be the winner here? I don’t think so. You’re not there. There are no shoe clerks in this poker game, and you’re not — you’re not in it. It’s not going to affect your life. In fact, it could very well adversely affect your life because we’re saying international order doesn’t matter," he said.
"Earlier this year, President Trump paved the way for peace in the Middle East by obliterating Iran’s nuclear facilities. Now, he is bringing narcoterrorist Nicolas Maduro to justice for bringing deadly drugs and vicious criminals into our country. The Biden administration and over 60 countries have recognized Maduro’s rule as illegitimate, but only President Trump had the courage to hold him accountable for his crimes of killing countless Americans with illicit narcotics. All of the President’s foreign policy actions have put America First while making the entire world safer and more stable," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The Democratic strategist also spoke to Melber about Americans’ views of the actions in Venezuela. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 34% of Americans disapproved of the military action, 33% approved, and 33% said they were unsure.
Carville said American citizens were not involved in the operation and noted that President Donald Trump told reporters he gave notice of his actions to major oil companies, according to The Hill.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Chevron and other energy companies did not receive prior notice, citing people familiar with the matter.
CROCKETT CALLS TRUMP THE "MADURO OF THE UNITED STATES" DURING ‘THE VIEW’ APPEARANCE
President Donald Trump speaks during a breakfast with Senate and House Republicans in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"Anybody that thought of voting for Donald Trump because he cared about their lives or cared about the cost of living, or their wages or their healthcare or anything else — you’re not part of this deal, junior. You just stay out on the outside, look in, and the whole company is going to cut their deals, and that’s just what’s going to happen. And people are just two thirds of the country that doesn’t like this or are on the verge not liking it. It’s pretty clear," Carville said.
Democrats have argued that Trump lacks the legal authority to take military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the operation Sunday, arguing that congressional approval was not necessary.
"This is not an operation that requires congressional approval. In fact, this is an operation akin to what virtually every single president for the last 40 years has conducted. The difference is that when it’s Donald Trump, you know, all these Democrats go bonkers," Rubio told NBC's Kristen Welker on Sunday.
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Trump announced Tuesday that interim authorities in Venezuela would turn over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of "high-quality" sanctioned oil to the U.S.
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Trump said the oil would be sold at market price, and he would control the proceeds to ensure it is "used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!"
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