The American Compass Podcast Is Venezuela the Return of Regime Change? with Michael Brendan Dougherty
Dec 23, 2025
Michael Brendan Dougherty, a senior writer at National Review and foreign policy commentator, dives into the U.S. government's renewed focus on Venezuela and the implications of potential regime change under the Trump administration. He critiques the aggressive tactics and their unintended consequences, highlighting how sanctions could push Venezuela closer to countries like Russia and China. The discussion also touches on the complexities of backing opposition figures, the historical costs of interventions, and the administration's struggle to communicate its foreign policy to the public.
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Drift, Not Strategy, Drives Escalation
- The administration appears to be escalating after prior measures failed rather than following a coherent plan.
- Dougherty says policy momentum, not a clear strategy, seems to drive deeper involvement.
Foreign Interventions Produce Domestic Blowback
- Regime-change adventures have previously produced blowback that reshaped Western politics.
- Dougherty warns a messy Venezuelan intervention could revive radical domestic politics and Latin-American obsessions.
Policy Lacks Public Case Building
- Venezuela policy has been pursued privately by specialists without public buy-in or a narrative.
- Dougherty contrasts this to past campaigns that built broad domestic and international cases.