Bulwark editor Jonathan Last delivered scathing criticism of President Donald Trump on Wednesday after the president dropped his plan to escalate military pressure on Venezuela in a Truth Social post rant.
Last described in his Substack how White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' revealing Vanity Fair interview, paired with Trump's most recent comments, laid the groundwork for a potential military offensive — and what the motives actually are behind them — "that Trump is seeking regime change in Venezuela."
Trump wrote this on Truth Social late Tuesday:
"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."
Last slammed Trump for the comments.
"This is a suboptimal way to conduct foreign policy. It is erratic, unfocused, vague, and ultimately dangerous—both to America’s short-term and long-term interests," he wrote. "Pick whatever foreign policy disaster you’d like from American history—Bay of Pigs; Iran-Contra; Mission: Accomplished. The thinking behind Trump’s Venezuela adventure is worse."
"In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Trump’s ultimatum last night is the single stupidest and most irresponsible presidential statement in the 249-year history of American foreign policy. I defy you to find something—anything—dumber," Last wrote.
Last argued that Nicolás Maduro is no saint or even "good guy."
"Maduro is a b-------," he wrote. "A corrupt, authoritarian gangster who has oppressed the Venezuelan people for years."
Trump, who has spent the last few months striking alleged drug boats in the area and claimed the move is to combat drug trafficking, has signaled plans to elevate the conflict.
Wiles, in one of the 11 interviews conducted with Vanity Fair journalist Christopher Whipple, described Trump's goal:
“He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will," she said.
The White House has denied this.