James Carville Says Trump’s Venezuela Strategy Puts U.S. in Crosshairs, Would Be ‘Ripe for Invasion’ [WATCH]

Democratic strategist James Carville argued Tuesday that the United States itself would be “ripe for invasion” if it were legitimate to target and overthrow governments deemed corrupt, comments he made while criticizing President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, as reported by Fox News.

Carville made the remarks during an appearance on MS NOW, speaking with host Ari Melber.

His comments came days after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Venezuela and later indicted in the Southern District of New York.

“Look, if it was legitimate to invade a corrupt and an attempted authoritarian nation, then we better get troops on San Francisco and Boston — and all up and down the east and West Coast — because we would be ripe for invasion if somebody wanted to overturn a massively corrupt regime, which is, in my opinion, which we have here right this minute. And I think it’s unfolding right in front of us,” Carville said.

Maduro and Flores were captured Saturday and formally indicted Monday on federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, and weapons-related offenses.

The indictments followed U.S. actions that resulted in Maduro’s removal from power.

Carville argued Democrats should focus on who benefits from the U.S. operation in Venezuela, questioning whether ordinary Americans would see any advantage.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

“I think we should certainly hammer who benefits from this operation. We’re doing all this. Who’s going to be a winner? Is a deputy sheriff in some rural Iowa going to be the winner here? Is a dental hygienist in western Montana going to be the winner here? I don’t think so. You’re not there. There are no shoe clerks in this poker game, and you’re not — you’re not in it. It’s not going to affect your life. In fact, it could very well adversely affect your life because we’re saying international order doesn’t matter,” he said.

The White House pushed back forcefully. In a statement to Fox News Digital, spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s actions.

“Earlier this year, President Trump paved the way for peace in the Middle East by obliterating Iran’s nuclear facilities. Now, he is bringing narcoterrorist Nicolas Maduro to justice for bringing deadly drugs and vicious criminals into our country. The Biden administration and over 60 countries have recognized Maduro’s rule as illegitimate, but only President Trump had the courage to hold him accountable for his crimes of killing countless Americans with illicit narcotics. All of the President’s foreign policy actions have put America First while making the entire world safer and more stable,” Kelly said.

Carville also cited public opinion data. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found 34% of Americans disapproved of the military action, 33% approved, and 33% said they were unsure.

He claimed Americans were not involved in the operation and said President Trump told reporters he gave notice of the action to major oil companies, according to The Hill.

However, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Chevron and other energy companies did not receive advance notice, citing sources familiar with the matter.

“Anybody that thought of voting for Donald Trump because he cared about their lives or cared about the cost of living, or their wages or their healthcare or anything else — you’re not part of this deal, junior,” Carville said.

Democrats have argued that Trump lacked the authority to act militarily without Congress. Marco Rubio rejected that claim Sunday.

“This is not an operation that requires congressional approval. In fact, this is an operation akin to what virtually every single president for the last 40 years has conducted. The difference is that when it’s Donald Trump, you know, all these Democrats go bonkers,” Rubio told NBC’s Kristen Welker.

On Tuesday, President Trump announced that interim Venezuelan authorities would transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned “high-quality” oil to the United States.

Trump said the oil would be sold at market price and that he would control the proceeds to ensure it is “used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!”

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.