Trump Torches Maduro Regime, Slaps Sanctions on Venezuelan Power Players

Paul Riverbank, 12/20/2025Trump slaps sanctions on Venezuela, showcases quiet power tactics, shifting strategies, and internal White House intrigue.

This move is hardly random. It fits within a familiar Trumpian playbook—turning the heat up, not just on distant adversaries but on those in their nearest orbit. For months, there’s been mounting anxiety within the administration over drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean. The notion of literally blowing up suspected drug boats—championed by some of the president’s senior advisers—might seem outlandish to outsiders, but it speaks to a broader obsession within these walls: showing tough love on narcotics, on foreign threats, and on anyone seen as threatening American security.

But foreign intrigue is just one thread in a very tangled skein. Day-to-day, the West Wing is also a hotbed of shifting power, stealth maneuvering, and personalities in perpetual motion. Look at Susie Wiles, the current chief of staff. She rarely courts the spotlight, yet her words in a recent interview gave a rare glimpse behind the scenes. “Sir, remember I am chief of staff; I am not chief of you,” she reportedly reminded her boss, echoing both a sense of duty and firm boundaries. She doesn’t believe in fiery theatrics: “If you want somebody to set their hair on fire and be crazy, I’m not your girl. But if you want to win this state, I am.”

Those who’ve watched this administration up close often wonder exactly how much Trump listens to trusted voices. According to Wiles, he’s less a whirlwind of chaos and more a self-styled agent of control and, perhaps unexpectedly, peace. “I cannot overstate how much his ongoing motivation is to stop the killing,” she insisted. The administration’s critics chalk up this rhetoric to posturing, yet inside the team, there’s a growing sense that—regardless of public brashness—the president’s self-image is bound up with making peace, not merely sowing discord.

Such claims are, predictably, a matter of fierce debate. Wiles doesn’t shy away from foreign policy’s thorniest spots. On the tensions in Ukraine, she’s matter-of-fact: “Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country,” referring, of course, to Vladimir Putin. As for the crisis in Gaza and the evolving relationship with Israel, she acknowledges the dissonance among younger Americans—many see these alliances in a far more complicated light than their predecessors.

Meanwhile, the administration’s reach extends to cultural touchstones. The Kennedy Center board’s recent decision to add Trump’s name to the historic building is both symbolic and strategic—a mark of influence that now stretches well beyond the campaign trail, deep into Washington’s corridors of memory.

None of this unfolds without resistance. Legal battles over climate policies, scrutiny of Trump’s past associations—including the sprawling Epstein files—regularly interrupt the White House’s narrative. Wiles addresses controversies head-on, remarking as plainly as possible: “[Trump] is in the file. And we know he’s in the file. And he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”

Looking ahead to 2025, allies and adversaries alike sense a turning point. Conservative organizations are making noise over climate policy, tech giants brace for potential shake-ups, and the debate over immigration remains ever-heated. Curiously—or perhaps not, considering the rules—Wiles quickly dispels rumors of a third term: “He knows he can’t run again.”

The result is a presidential circle that moves fast, deals with friction internally, and isn’t above making a quiet, effective play when the moment calls for it. This is an administration comfortable both in the blaze of headlines and the calm of closed-door calculations—intent on racking up what they see as real victories, no matter how tangled the environment or divided the nation.

The Trump White House once made its mark through grand statements and sweeping actions, but much of its current muscle lies in the quieter strategies taking shape out of public view. Consider the latest round of sanctions leveled against Nicolás Maduro’s core circle in Venezuela: seven individuals with ties to the embattled regime now find themselves blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury, accused of propping up what the administration brands a “rogue narco-state.” Scott Bessent of Treasury didn’t mince words—his warning was as blunt as their intentions: “We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs.”This move is hardly random. It fits within a familiar Trumpian playbook—turning the heat up, not just on distant adversaries but on those in their nearest orbit. For months, there’s been mounting anxiety within the administration over drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean. The notion of literally blowing up suspected drug boats—championed by some of the president’s senior advisers—might seem outlandish to outsiders, but it speaks to a broader obsession within these walls: showing tough love on narcotics, on foreign threats, and on anyone seen as threatening American security.But foreign intrigue is just one thread in a very tangled skein. Day-to-day, the West Wing is also a hotbed of shifting power, stealth maneuvering, and personalities in perpetual motion. Look at Susie Wiles, the current chief of staff. She rarely courts the spotlight, yet her words in a recent interview gave a rare glimpse behind the scenes. “Sir, remember I am chief of staff; I am not chief of you,” she reportedly reminded her boss, echoing both a sense of duty and firm boundaries. She doesn’t believe in fiery theatrics: “If you want somebody to set their hair on fire and be crazy, I’m not your girl. But if you want to win this state, I am.”Those who’ve watched this administration up close often wonder exactly how much Trump listens to trusted voices. According to Wiles, he’s less a whirlwind of chaos and more a self-styled agent of control and, perhaps unexpectedly, peace. “I cannot overstate how much his ongoing motivation is to stop the killing,” she insisted. The administration’s critics chalk up this rhetoric to posturing, yet inside the team, there’s a growing sense that—regardless of public brashness—the president’s self-image is bound up with making peace, not merely sowing discord.Such claims are, predictably, a matter of fierce debate. Wiles doesn’t shy away from foreign policy’s thorniest spots. On the tensions in Ukraine, she’s matter-of-fact: “Donald Trump thinks he wants the whole country,” referring, of course, to Vladimir Putin. As for the crisis in Gaza and the evolving relationship with Israel, she acknowledges the dissonance among younger Americans—many see these alliances in a far more complicated light than their predecessors.Meanwhile, the administration’s reach extends to cultural touchstones. The Kennedy Center board’s recent decision to add Trump’s name to the historic building is both symbolic and strategic—a mark of influence that now stretches well beyond the campaign trail, deep into Washington’s corridors of memory.None of this unfolds without resistance. Legal battles over climate policies, scrutiny of Trump’s past associations—including the sprawling Epstein files—regularly interrupt the White House’s narrative. Wiles addresses controversies head-on, remarking as plainly as possible: “[Trump] is in the file. And we know he’s in the file. And he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”Looking ahead to 2025, allies and adversaries alike sense a turning point. Conservative organizations are making noise over climate policy, tech giants brace for potential shake-ups, and the debate over immigration remains ever-heated. Curiously—or perhaps not, considering the rules—Wiles quickly dispels rumors of a third term: “He knows he can’t run again.”The result is a presidential circle that moves fast, deals with friction internally, and isn’t above making a quiet, effective play when the moment calls for it. This is an administration comfortable both in the blaze of headlines and the calm of closed-door calculations—intent on racking up what they see as real victories, no matter how tangled the environment or divided the nation.