# Where does Trump's military adventurism stop? What are the consequences of that to the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 3, 2026, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315 "2026-01-03T19:26:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/81 "2026-01-05T03:31:31Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > But that’s what Putin wants. And getting the US to pull support helps facilitate the takeover of Ukraine But it also means the US has no more say in how Europe supports Ukraine. If a major European power decides to get actively involved, Russian forces in Ukraine with melt like snow on a hot stove. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/82 "2026-01-05T03:34:23Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > In his mind Trump has achieved total victory. He has provided MAGAS with war theater and massive explosions. Maduro has been cleanly removed. I would not agree with that. > **[Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela](https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/cuba-us-venezuela-maduro-k85503)** > > Cuba has acknowledged the deaths of 32 Cubans in the American military operation that ousted Venezuela's leader over the weekend. > **[Venezuela strike death toll: How many civilians and soldiers died in US attack?](https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/venezuela-strike-death-toll-how-many-civilians-and-soldiers-died-in-us-attack-101767508030061.html)** > > Dozens of people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela early Saturday, including military personnel and civilians. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/83 "2026-01-05T03:43:17Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > But it also means the US has no more say in how Europe supports Ukraine. If a major European power decides to get actively involved, Russian forces in Ukraine with melt like snow on a hot stove. Be that as it may, but all signs point to this being the goal. China → Taiwan → Asia. Russia → Ukraine → Europe. USA → Greenland/Canada/Mexico/Venezuela → Americas. Everything’s being tested to see how much pushback the rest of the world gives. China and Russia and China may be playing the smarter long game, but Trump is too impetuous and stupid to stay on message like those other two countries are and he’s rushing into it headfirst ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/84 "2026-01-05T03:44:40Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I think it’s about establishing a “new world order.” No more global organizations like the UN or NATO. It’s about certain countries controlling their region- Russia wants Europe, China gets Asia and others in that region, USA gets the Americas. That’s not how a narcissist like Trump thinks. As far as he’s concerned he gets _everything,_ the rest of the world gets _nothing._ Russia and China _are not Trump,_ therefore their rightful place is as supplicants and tributaries to America and its God-King Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/85 "2026-01-05T03:47:37Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > That’s not how a narcissist like Trump thinks. He’s also easily manipulated and stupid. And ffs, even he knows he’s not going to control the world before controlling his sphere. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/86 "2026-01-05T03:55:03Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > He’s also easily manipulated and stupid. He’s both easy and hard to manipulate, from what I’ve heard. He can be swayed momentarily to almost any position by the last person to talk to him; but always swings back to his default state , so it never sticks. And one of his core opinions is that _only_ “losers” make deals where the other side gets anything; it would be _anathema_ to him to come to an arrangement with China or Russia where they profited from it. They are not Trump, therefore they _must_ lose or _Trump_ is a loser, and that’s unacceptable. That’s how his zero-sum mind works. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/87 "2026-01-05T04:00:16Z")
The thing is, the fascists running those other countries are miles smarter than Trump. They can absolutely manipulate him into doing something. Even if he has his eye on running the world, even if he thinks he’s smarter than them, he won’t and he’s not. They _also_ know he’s a weak, dying old man who won’t be around forever. This is about China and Russia working to reorganize the world to their benefit (without the West having power though orgs like NATO and the UN) and ultimately working with people like the tech oligarchs, Stephen Miller and JD Vance to make it happen. Trump is the useful idiot with a cult who can fundamentally change the American culture that once valued a post-WWII world order of international cooperation and basic human decency. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/88 "2026-01-05T04:22:41Z")
Apparently not until after we deal with Cuba and Columbia, [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tSYUq5jNfDI/maxresdefault.jpg "Sen. Lindsey Graham on Cuba: "Their days are numbered."") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSYUq5jNfDI) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/89 "2026-01-05T04:40:48Z")
Listening to various soundbites on the news, the word that keeps coming up is ‘hemisphere’. I guess they’ve all decided to drop the pretense and admit they’re trying to take it all over. It’s obnoxiously obvious that everyone has been told to say it as much as possible to normalize the idea. Just like it’s clearly mandatory for everyone to bless and thank trump 🤮 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/90 "2026-01-05T04:44:29Z")
Exactly. The US gets the Americas, Russia gets Europe, China gets the far East. They’re carving up the world. No more having to pay lip service to “lesser” countries at places like the UN or NATO. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/91 "2026-01-05T05:00:01Z")
Hell, right wing influencers are just fucking saying it out loud: > They’re just trying to normalize this so people will roll over and let it happen. Heather Cox Richardson on Saturday morning said these next three months will determine if Trump goes full-ass dictator or if Americans fight this shit back. Three months. If she’s right, by the end of March, we’ll have either fully lost our Republic, or we’ll have saved it, uhhhh, somehow. I just don’t know if Americans have the stones to do what it takes to save it. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/92 "2026-01-05T05:33:03Z")
There’s nothing most of us as individuals can do. I really hope that there are some sane people with some power who fight this. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/93 "2026-01-05T13:59:36Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Threats like the above to Mexico…a long time ally and peaceful neighbor for 200 years can be threatened like this? Nitpick: Just 180 years ago, the US invaded Mexico. And then there was the Pancho Villa thing about 110 years ago. So we haven’t been peaceful neighbors for quite that long. (Ninety-one replies and no one caught this. That wouldn’t have happened in the old days.) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/94 "2026-01-05T14:05:16Z")
At this point, it would be difficult to craft a coherent argument that says that _the Trump Administration is NOT_ hoping to restore the old world order: > **[Trump ushers in a new era of rogue superpowers](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/01/trump-maduro-sphere-of-influence-venezuela)** > > With the strike on Venezuela, the United States joins Russia and China in carving up the globe into spheres of influence > **[Monroe Doctrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine)** > > The Monroe Doctrine is a United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States. The doctrine was central to American grand strategy in the 20th century. > President James Monroe first articulated the doctrine on December 2, 1823, during his seventh annual State of the Union Address to Congress (though it wa... > **[American expansionism under Donald Trump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_expansionism_under_Donald_Trump)** > > Timeline > Executive actions > Trips They definitely _have been_ “saying the quiet part out loud.” The only thing that remains to be seen is whether, and to what degree, they actually continue down this path (and the global implications). ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/95 "2026-01-05T15:55:41Z")
I did, I just let slide because the gist of the idea was right, if not the details. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/96 "2026-01-05T16:21:03Z")
Do die hard MAGAts really believe that this guy, at this point in time, has what it takes to run another country? Why in the world would anyone give trump the benefit of the doubt when it comes to _anything_, let alone going to war? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/97 "2026-01-05T20:06:56Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Apparently not until after we deal with Cuba and Columbia [Again?](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8zljpvyk0o.amp) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/98 "2026-01-05T20:49:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Hell, right wing influencers are just fucking saying it out loud: > > [https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2007856205725577506?s=20](https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/2007856205725577506?s=20) Well, shit, the US State Dept is now saying it out loud: > They are carving up the world by spheres. This is the plan. Doesn’t matter if Trump survives, Putin and Xi will continue in their attempts beyond Trump, and will work with whichever stooge steps up after Old Yamtits dies. Musk, Theil, Vance, Miller, Vought…all of 'em. The oligarchs want this so bad they can taste it, and it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a few Saturday afternoon marches to stop it at this point. I’m beginning to think even if there are midterm elections, they’ll be fixed. Even worse, I’m really beginning to think the 2024 presidential elections were fixed. And I hate saying shit like this out loud because this type of wild speculation is usually reserved for batshit conspiracy nutters, but damned if this isn’t looking like skullduggery all the way down. I mean, there’s a collusion of unholy wealth and mad technology like this planet has just never experienced before. Trump may be a drooling demented nabob, but the wealth, political madmen and global intelligence supporting him is likely what’s going to make “him” successful in this endeavor. In short, his military adventurism doesn’t stop. There will be no consequences. Extremely powerful, intelligent and wealthy people have been planning this out for almost a decade now. Probably longer. I hope I’m wrong af, and that in two years from now I can go back to these posts and laugh at how crazy I sounded in the early days of '26. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/99 "2026-01-05T21:03:31Z")
Just posted this in the Maduro drug charge thread, but having a war on drugs is never ending. Being in a war allows you to kill as a measure of first resort and to detain anyone until the end of the war. I’ve heard Cuba and Columbia also have drugs. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315/100 "2026-01-05T22:20:58Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Do die hard MAGAts really believe that this guy, at this point in time, has what it takes to run another country? I check on an ex-co-worker’s facebook page (it’s not private) to see how MAGAs are responding to events. They absolutely believe that Trump is the best president ever and can do no wrong. They used to boast that he was anti-war unlike every other president. Now they are all “hell yeah, let’s take over S. America!”. It’s insane. The brainwashing is total and, I believe, unbreakable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trumps-military-adventurism-stop-what-are-the-consequences-of-that-to-the-us/1026315.md?page=6)