During a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) discussed the reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and questioned how such an action aligns with stated “America First” campaign priorities. Her remarks focused on how U.S. foreign policy decisions intersect with domestic concerns, particularly public safety, economic pressures, and the stated goals of prioritizing issues affecting Americans at home.
Greene pointed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis in the United States and emphasized where overdose deaths are originating. She said, “The majority of American fentanyl overdoses and deaths come from Mexico. Those are the Mexican cartels that are killing Americans. And so my push back here is if this was really about narco terrorists and about protecting Americans from cartels and drugs being brought into America, the Trump administration would be attacking the Mexican cartels. Now, I am not defending Maduro. And of course, I’m happy for the people of Venezuela to be liberated. But Americans celebrated the liberation of the Iraqi people after Saddam Hussein. They celebrated the liberation of the Libyan people after Gaddafi, and this is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn’t serve the American people that but actually serves the big corporations, the banks and the oil executives.”
Her comments placed the situation within a broader historical context of U.S. involvement overseas, referencing past interventions and public reactions to them. Greene drew a distinction between foreign actions and domestic priorities, framing her remarks around the allocation of government attention and resources. She stressed that her criticism was not intended as support for Maduro, but rather as a question of focus and sequencing in policymaking.
Greene continued by tying foreign policy decisions to economic and cost-of-living challenges facing Americans. She said, “And so my push back here is on the Trump administration that campaigned on Make America Great Again, that we saw it was putting America first. I want to see domestic policy be the priority that helps Americans afford life after four disastrous years of the Biden administration. I want to see domestic policies that prioritizes jobs and affordable housing for Americans after four disastrous years of the Biden administration. And I want to see domestic priorities that that put Americans first in regards of health care. Health insurance costs too much, car insurance, and home insurance, and these are issues that matter to Americans. We don’t consider Venezuela our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is right here in the 50 United States, not in the Southern Hemisphere.”
The remarks reflect ongoing debates in Washington about how foreign policy actions align with domestic needs, particularly at a time when issues such as drug trafficking, housing affordability, insurance costs, and employment remain central to public discussion. Greene’s comments underscore the continuing scrutiny lawmakers apply to how national security decisions are balanced against economic and public safety concerns within the United States.
