US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, December 22, 2025 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty)
EA-Byline Times Podcast: Ego, Oil, and “Donro Doctrine” — Trump’s Invasion of Venezuela
EA on International Media: Trump’s “Act of War” with Abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro
UPDATE 1500 GMT:
I joined Sky News on Tuesday morning to talk about the 5th anniversary of Donald Trump’s coup attempt, calling on supporters to block the Congressional confirmation of President Joe Biden, and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
"Is there still a legacy of [January 6th], 5 years on?"
Professor Scott Lucas: "Sure there's a legacy, this was a coup attempt.. by a man named Donald Trump to try to hold onto power illegally" pic.twitter.com/vclNOgtOlj
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) January 6, 2026
"What is your assessment of the legality or not of what happened over the weekend in Venezuela?"
Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics: "Its illegal… this was an egregious violation of international law" pic.twitter.com/DP7qh5tKnI
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) January 6, 2026
UPDATE, JAN 6:
In a 20-minute discussion, I join India’s NewsX World for a wider look at power and the threat to international order.
After discussing who wields power — corporations, activists, States — I summarize:
In 2026, we are at a point where the international system is breaking down.
We have a combination of different governments and systems who are not just saying, “We’ll get away with this or that operation,” but also, “The international rules of the game do not apply to us.”
I then discuss the state of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Trump camp’s invasion of Venezuela to abduct President Nicolás Maduro.
ORIGINAL ENTRY, JAN 5: Alongside Venezuelan journalist Victor Amaya, I joined Dublin NewsTalk’s Pat Kenny Show on Monday for a 22-minute examination of the Trump Administration’s attack on Venezuela, with the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife; its attempt at “regime coercion”; and its threats against other countries.
I begin with an explanation of the Administration’s trashing of international law in the abduction of Maduro.
After Amaya describes a situation of uncertainty and anxiety in Caracas, I explain how the Trump Administration shifted from “regime change” to “regime coercion”: the current Government will be allowed to stay in place but has to bow to US demands over oil, the economy, and foreign relations.
I analyze how this is part of the Trump Administration’s effort to dominate the Western Hemisphere. I detail its warnings — and how far it might go with political, economic, and military pressure — on Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Greenland.
The opening nine minutes of the conversation:
