Expert: US politicians want to 'look like tough guys'

Name: Expert: US politicians want to 'look like tough guys'
Uploaded: 2026-01-03T12:58:41.743Z
Duration: 6 min 34 s
Description: US-Venezuela tensions go back nearly three decades. But there are several new factors that the Trump administration is bringing to the conflict, that may have contributed to this US attack on Venezuela, says Scott Lucas, a professor at University College Dublin and expert on the Americas.

06:34

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Michael Okwu

January 3, 2026

US-Venezuela tensions go back nearly three decades. But there are several new factors that the Trump administration is bringing to the conflict, that may have contributed to this US attack on Venezuela, says Scott Lucas, a professor at University College Dublin and expert on the Americas.

The United States confirmed a "large-scale strike" on the Venezuelan capital at around 2 a.m. on Saturday (7 a.m. CET).

The move follows months of threats by Donald Trump to order strikes on targets inside Venezuela, as his administration charged President Nicolas Maduro with narco-terrorism in the United States.

Expert: US politicians want to 'look like tough guys'

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