Ro Khanna Says Trump Has Taken US Back 100 Years With Venezuela Policy: ‘Era of Gunboat Diplomacy’
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) criticized President Donald Trump’s Venezuela policy, accusing the administration of reviving an imperialist approach to foreign policy and abandoning America’s commitment to decolonization.
Khanna Calls Trump Policy ‘Gunboat Diplomacy‘
On Saturday, Khanna posted on X while sharing a clip of his interview with MS NOW, where he criticized Trump’s reported actions involving Venezuela and its oil reserves.
"Trump’s foreign policy has rolled back the clock a hundred years to the era of gunboat diplomacy where might makes right," the California Democrat wrote.
He added, "It’s not just that it’s strategically wrong. It’s morally wrong."
In the interview, Khanna said the situation was "sad to see" and argued that the U.S. was returning to a foreign policy model it should have left behind.
"It’s like we’ve rolled back the clock 100 years to the era of gunboat diplomacy," he said, pointing to U.S. actions in Guatemala, El Salvador and Haiti.
"It’s wrong to have a colonial model of the world," he added.
The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for a comment.
Khanna Accuses Trump of Reversing Decolonization
Khanna also referenced his grandfather, who he said was jailed twice while fighting for Indian independence from Britain.
"I thought America had stood for decolonization," he said, citing former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s push for British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to decolonize.
"Trump is rolling it all back because he simply believes in a world where might makes right, where you take what you can," Khanna said.
Trump Touted Venezuela Oil Deal
Trump said Friday that the U.S. had reached an agreement with Venezuela for majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.
He called it "THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY" and said it would cost U.S. taxpayers nothing.
Trump said the deal would strengthen U.S.-Venezuela relations and potentially lower gasoline prices by expanding access to Venezuela’s oil.
Trump Signals Venezuela Role
Venezuela reportedly considered leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) while the Trump administration explored acquiring stakes in about a dozen Venezuelan oil fields holding nearly 90 million barrels of proven reserves.
The proposed deal could have allowed U.S. companies to develop the fields and boost Venezuela’s oil revenue.
Earlier, Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez thanked Trump for seeking cooperation, after Trump praised her leadership and said Venezuelan oil was beginning to flow.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock