Critics Shred Trump's Maduro Arrest — After Hernandez Pardon
By: Tommy Christopher (Mediaite)
POS/POTUS will keep them on ice until maduro signs over his country's oil assets to trumpco or raises the millions for his presidential pardon fee ...
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Critics shredded President Donald Trump over the strike and capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife — just one month after he pardoned a former president who was convicted of drug trafficking.
News broke after midnight Friday that the United States struck Venezuela's capital of Caracas early Saturday morning, and at 4:21 AM, Trump announced on Truth Social that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown to the United States.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP," Trump wrote.
The move comes barely a month after the president pardoned former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez , who was sentenced for drug trafficking. The president has claimed that Hernandez's imprisonment was the result of a political prosecution by President Joe Biden's administration. But the lead investigator on the case that resulted in the conviction, Emil Bove , went on to become Trump's personal lawyer and then a Trump judicial appointee.
That pardon was heavily criticized at the time, and the operation against Maduro prompted renewed attacks of hypocrisy from Trump critics — including former Trump White House official Miles Taylor , who wrote on X/Twitter:
December: Trump gives sweetheart pardon to a drug-kingpin president.
January: Trump bombs a country to arrest a drug-kingpin president.
If you think this is about the "war on drugs," you're fooling yourself.
Democratic strategist and influencer Adam Parkhomenko put a finer point on it in a series of posts:
If Nicolas Maduro is convicted and sentenced by the U.S. government for running drug trafficking networks, would Trump then pardon him the same way he just pardoned the former Honduran president who was also convicted and sentenced in the United States?
I think the bigger question is this: why did Trump protect and pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, a convicted drug trafficker, while turning Maduro into a political trophy? And the answer probably has a lot less to do with justice and a lot more to do with who was useful to Donald Trump at the time.
Independent journalist Jim Acosta noted "Almost one month ago to the day, Trump pardoned a drug trafficking president from Latin America."
A blizzard of posts from Trump critics, resistance figures, and journalists included:
And that's how this will end too: Just like Hernandez, Maduro will buy himself a sweetheart pardon from Trump in 3 years. Book it. None of this has anything to do with drugs. https://t.co/IH914HoefE
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) January 3, 2026
If Maduro truly is a drug kingpin, Trump will pardon him.
That's what he did with the ex-president of Honduras just a few weeks ago. https://t.co/vAu6uJkxgd
— S.V. Date (@svdate) January 3, 2026
Unless your this guy — then you get pardoned and releasedhttps://t.co/obpMQVXZN9
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) January 3, 2026
Last month Trump pardoned former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison by an American court for drug trafficking and other charges. He's now hiding out somewhere in the US. https://t.co/ffZKwlg7Ng
— Katie Herzog (@kittypurrzog) January 3, 2026
How long until Trump grants Maduro a pardon? Start the clock.
— Charlotte Clymer (@cmclymer) January 3, 2026
If Maduro was engaged in large scale drug trafficking he shouldn't worry, he can just hire a lobbyist and in a month Trump will pardon him.
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) January 3, 2026
To believe this is about drug smuggling, you have to ignore Trump's pardon of the former Honduran president for drug smuggling.
To believe it's about Maduro's democratic legitimacy, you have to believe Trump cares even slightly about democratic legitimacy.
Alternatively: pic.twitter.com/pUBCAJhMLO
— Niall Stanage (@NiallStanage) January 3, 2026
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maduro is probably good for a renegotiated exclusive oil production agreement, at least $100 million in cash, and some beach front property for a new trump resort ...
What a fckd up POS president, as he wags the dog that won't hunt, grabs his bitches buy the ..., cause the unstable unable mental midget miscreant has isolated US All from the world and his supportive yes men dolts, have not the influence to be the adults, in the room, to get reasonable responsible results, asz Trump grabs em' buy the womb
Here's an interesting bit of trivia that I found to be surprising (but relevant to this discussion): what country has the world's largest proven oil reserves?
(Hint: Its not Saudi Arabia-- they're second).
U mean the guy shutting down wind and solar farms would like oil...?
He probably does, if you dont apply the principle to him and his friends.
Trump is completely immoral, and he cannot be viewed as doing the moral thing ever. He will demand things from Venezuela they will not agree to give. He will bully them until they give him what he wants.
Trump is struggling to read his statement about this event. I'm sure he is seeing it for the first time.
I'm surprised the fucking pile of shit is still awake at this time of day ...
It was touch and go. He did liven up as he got into the section about taking their oil.
Did Trump announce that he is putting Maduro in the same cell where he's keeping Hernandez? Good thing they have a major drug dealer like Hernandez in prison...
[✘]
sounds like the same excuse he'll use after the midterms this year, right before the next civil war/maga scum eradication ...
Trump pardons an actual convicted foreign drug trafficker and now invades another country based only on accusations and Trump's own greed.
Where is Congress?
MAGA better sign up for military service because not only is Trump starting war in South America, he's going after Greenland too.
Trump crying the blues for a "Peace Prize"? Get real!
Republican voters better step up and call their representatives asking for a stop to this madness.
I don't think war is what MAGA voted for. I also don't think war will help our already broken economy from tariffs.
maga simps ...
Well, the whole thing makes anybody claiming that this was about drugs look like a moron.
and they didn't need the help
the senile POS is creating excuses to rage about a stolen election and obscure scrutiny over his involvement with epstein.
While enriching oil company execs and himself.