Rep. Jim Jordan Defends Trump’s Venezuela Policies as “America First” Mission
President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla., as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
By Newsmax Wires | Sunday, 04 January 2026 12:40 PM EST
Rep. Jim Jordan on Sunday defended President Donald Trump’s posture toward Venezuela and the arrest of its President Nicolas Maduro, stating that the president’s willingness to use U.S. power in the region aligns with “America First” and aims at protecting Americans from drugs and hostile foreign influence.
The Ohio Republican added during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he trusts Trump to make decisions “in the best interest of Americans” and credited him with delivering results.
Jordan described Maduro as the “head of a narcoterrorist criminal operation” who is “cozying up to Iran and China,” adding that bringing such figures to justice serves American interests.
Show host Dana Bash challenged Jordan on Trump’s remarks about U.S. involvement in rebuilding Venezuela, including oil infrastructure, arguing it could conflict with promises to focus spending at home.
Jordan responded that Trump’s comments reflect a push for accountability over assets taken from American companies. “When that country took assets that belonged to American companies, that’s wrong,” he said. “They took property from American companies. That makes sense there will be some kind of compensation, some kind of reckoning.”
The Ohio Republican also supported the administration’s approach to Maduro’s prosecution in U.S. courts. When asked whether Maduro should receive the same rights as American citizens, Jordan stated he is comfortable with the case proceeding through the American judicial process and called it “the best system in history, the best on the planet.”
Bash pressed Jordan on consistency in the administration’s drug messaging, citing Trump’s pardon of the former president of Honduras after a U.S. conviction tied to drug trafficking.
Jordan defended Trump’s authority to issue pardons, noting that the power is exclusive to the president and can be used “how they darn well want.” He added that Trump believed the prior administration treated the individual unfairly.
Jordan also contrasted Trump with former President Joe Biden, criticizing Biden’s handling of a Chinese spy balloon incident and claiming Trump demonstrates strength and decisive action.
