Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on a rake with her criticism of the Trump administration’s “unlawful” and “unwise” capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The failed 2024 Democratic presidential nominee took to social media to rip the operation while also acknowledging that Maduro “is a brutal, illegitimate dictator.” Her lengthy social media post earned her immediate rebuke, as Harris was schooled on the dictator’s history and the fact that during her own tenure as vice president, the Biden administration also had offered a reward for Maduro’s arrest, as pointed out by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others.
The Biden-Harris administration made available a $25,000,000 reward for information that would have lead to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro.
Now you’re saying capturing him was unlawful? Did you just entirely forget your administration’s policy? pic.twitter.com/fbXSDzPZ68
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) January 4, 2026
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable,” Harris wrote in a post on X. “That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before.”
“Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price,” she claimed.
Maduro was indicted on narco-terrorism, drug-trafficking, and other charges back in 2020. Before President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025, the Biden administration offered $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Maduro. Harris ignored this inconvenient fact and blasted the current administration for being motivated by oil interests.
“The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to. This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” Harris said. “If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.”
Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.
That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that…
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 4, 2026
“The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home,” she said. “America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back at the clueless former VP.
“In the Biden administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture,” he told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Sunday. “So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?”
“That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else … President Trump did something about it,” Rubio added.
.@SecRubio: “In the Biden Administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture — so we have a reward for his capture but we’re not going to enforce it? That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else… President Trump did something about it.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zdgFQSxjwG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 4, 2026
“Public safety is not a political game,” wrote former New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a post on X.
“You do not label someone a narco-dictator one year and then pretend he is no longer a threat the next simply because a different president is in office. That is cynical and irresponsible,” he added in response to Harris’s comments.
On January 10, 2025, the Biden-Harris administration put a $25 million bounty on Nicolás Maduro for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Public safety is not a political game.
You do not label someone a narco-dictator one year and then pretend he is no longer a… https://t.co/KC8qzUFTLc pic.twitter.com/iPHSm2DppQ
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) January 4, 2026
“America is safer today because Maduro is no longer in power,” Adams wrote.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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