Just in case you missed it, President Trump just updated the Monroe Doctrine, with a clear-headed legal case, and an incredibly well-executed military action to take out Venezuela’s communist strongman and his wife.
I believe that Mr. trump is exactly right to bend the arc of history back toward freedom. It’s a great and noble mission. And here is Mr. Trump’s definition of it.
Asked by a reporter “If you had to sum up Operation Absolute Resolve, would you say that it was about oil or it was about regime change?”
The president replied: “It’s about peace on Earth.”
The reporter inquired: “How is it peace on Earth?”
Mr. Trump’s response was: “Peace on Earth. You’ve got to have peace. It’s our hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine was very important when it was done. And other presidents, a lot of them, they lost sight of it. I didn’t lose sight. But it really is. It’s peace on earth.”
Peace on Earth, I think that’s the perfect way to put it. Personally, I think this was a historic action by Mr. Trump. And I think it’s going to change the course of history, not only in the Western hemisphere, but in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Mr. Trump is showing the remarkable strength of America. He is a plain spoken, common sense president who says what he believes, and then takes action.
There’s no room for communism, or war or narco-terrorism in this hemisphere.
Maduro was warned, didn’t listen, and paid the price.
Just as in the bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities, taking out Al- Baghdadi or Soleimani.
Mr. Trump warned, then took action, and changed history. And he’s doing it again. And it is a truly great thing.
And it makes America strong again. And it helps wipe the Biden stain from Afghanistan. And other failures.
By the way, for those who may not have met him, President Monroe in his seventh annual message to Congress, on December 2, 1823, issued a clear warning to the European powers that the United States would not tolerate further colonization, or puppet monarchs.
Monroe’s Doctrine has stood the test of time and has been invoked by a number of American presidents down through the years.
Most notably, Theodore Roosevelt in the Dominican Republic in 1904, Nicaragua in 1911, and Haiti in 1915.
John F. Kennedy used the Monroe Doctrine in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
President George H.W. Bush used it in 1990 in Panama to remove Manuel Noriega.
But since then, presidents have gone soft in the face of infiltration, and even colonization from China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, Hezbollah, and other enemies.
Lately they’ve all congregated in an anti-American rats’ nest in Venezuela, where the Cuban military and secret police have essentially taken control of the government and to a large extent the entire country.
Venezuela has lost three-quarters of its entire economy and most of its oil production.
Yet Hugo Chavez, and his successor Mr. Maduro, have never cared about their ruination of the people of their country.
The narco-terrorism and the exporting of cocaine was the tipping point for Mr. Trump. And so he launched a legal action backed by unbelievable military force to stop the rot in Venezuela.
Now stopping the rot in Venezuela, will have a big influence in Colombia, and Brazil, and probably Cuba, and probably around the world.
The going may be difficult, as far as democratizing Venezuela over time.
And Mr. Trump has even threatened a second wave. Yet I believe he will do whatever it takes to clean out the drug-infested communist precincts in our backyard, to ensure that the arc of history endures with the American values of freedom and prosperity that will help all peoples.
Lawrence Kudlow is a Fox News Media contributor and host of both “Kudlow” on weekdays and the nationally syndicated “Larry Kudlow Show” each Saturday. This column is adapted from his monologues on “Kudlow.”
👉 Quick Reads
I. Crude Awakening
The chart exposes a brutal paradox. Venezuela holds nearly a fifth of the world’s proven oil reserves, yet produces barely 1 percent of global supply, leaving crude prices calm while investors rush to price in a long U.S.-led rebuilding of a once-great oil power.
II. U.S. Lays Claim To Venezuelan Oil Assets
President Trump claims assets belonging to U.S. companies were stolen by Venezuela when it nationalized its oil industry in 1976, and a renegotiation of contracts in 2007.
The TIPP Stack
Handpicked articles from TIPP Insights & beyond
1. Neocons Premature Celebration Over Protests In Iran—Larry C. Johnson, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity
2. Rules For Thee, Force For Me: America’s Doctrine Of Leader-Capture—Gerry Nolan, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity
3. What Maduro’s Capture Means—Andres Martinez-Fernandez via The Daily Signal
4. Trump Announces Major Victory In Venezuelan Drug War—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
5. Marco Rubio Lays Out How Trump Admin Will Gauge Venezuelan Cooperation—Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller News Foundation
6. 7 Left-Wing Groups To Watch In 2026—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
7. Maduro Capture Prompts Congressional Debate Over Trump’s Military Authority—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal
8. Congress Should Prioritize American Graduates, Not Foreigners Who Promised To Go Home—Lora Ries via The Daily Signal
9. How AI Undermines Education—Victor Joecks, The Daily Signal
10. Assessing Libertarian Foreign Policy: Rothbard Vs. Friedman—David Gordon, Mises Wire
11. Monetary Policy Is Monetary Piracy—George Ford Smith, Mises Wire
12. Trump’s National Insecurity Strategy—Vincent Cook, Mises Wire
13. Good Health Instead Of Special Interests In 2026—Adam Dick, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity
14. American Indians: Separating Truth From Fiction—Larsen Plyler, Mises Wire
15. Peter Navarro’s Book Is A Raw Retelling Of His Experience In Prison—Salena Zito, The Daily Signal
16. Has The West Given Up Protecting Its Citizens?—Simon Hankinson, The Daily Signal
From TIPP Insights News Editor
17. Trump Rejects Putin's Claim That Ukraine Attacked His Residence
18. US Strike On Maduro Leaves Dozens Of Cubans Dead, Havana Reports
19. Congress Back In Session With Shutdown Risk And Venezuela Vote Ahead
20. Venezuela's Acting President Offers Cooperation After Trump Demands 'Total Access' To Oil
21. U.S. Action In Venezuela Undermines UN Authority, Warn Experts
22. Old Videos, Fake Images Go Viral After Maduro Taken Into Custody
23. Tokyo Keeps Ambiguous Stance On U.S. Strike In Venezuela
24. Flights Canceled As Venezuela Operation Disrupts Caribbean Airspace
25. Captured Venezuelan Leader Maduro Denies Drug Charges In U.S. Court
26. China Vows To Maintain Venezuela Energy Ties Despite U.S. Military Operation
27. Minnesota Gov. Walz Steps Aside Amid Federal Welfare Fraud Investigation
28. Suspect Held After Damage At Vice President Vance’s Ohio Home
29. Investigators Find Day Care Centers Operating Normally Amid Walz Exit
30. Report: 40 Million People Use ChatGPT Daily For Health Guidance
31. Pentagon Moves To Cut Mark Kelly’s Military Pension After Video
32. Lack Of Trust In Media Continues As Perceived Bias, Ideology Divide Readers: I&I/TIPP Poll
📊 Market Mood — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
🟩 Asia Rallies, Europe Follows
Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan extend the year-start rally, lifting European stocks in early trade.
🟧 U.S. Futures Ease After Records
Wall Street futures dip modestly following recent record highs, hinting at near-term consolidation.
🟦 CES 2026 Fuels the AI Trade
AMD and Nvidia headlines from CES reinforce optimism around data-center demand and AI infrastructure.
🟪 Metals Keep Running
Gold, silver, and copper push higher again as tariff fears draw refined metals into the U.S.
🟫 Geopolitics Back on the Radar
Greenland tensions and Ukraine security talks add a fresh layer of uncertainty to global markets.
🗓️ Key Economic Events — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
🟧 9:45 AM ET — S&P Global Services PMI (Dec)
A key read on activity in the services sector, the largest component of the U.S. economy, tracking demand, hiring, and business confidence.
editor-tippinsights@technometrica.com
