Viral Tulsi Gabbard Post Urging US To Stay out of Venezuela Sparks Fury After Maduro Raid

A resurfaced social media post by U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard urging the United States to stay out of Venezuela has triggered fierce criticism following a controversial U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The 2019 post, in which Gabbard wrote, 'The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future,' has gone viral. Critics are now seizing on the tweet, questioning her silence and highlighting the apparent hypocrisy of her serving as a senior intelligence chief in an administration that just launched a major military intervention in the South American nation.

Military Operation Against Maduro Shocks World

The United States military's operation, identified in multiple official and law-enforcement documents as Operation Absolute Resolve, unfolded with precision and controversy. Early on 3 January 2026, more than 150 American military aircraft conducted coordinated airstrikes on Venezuelan military sites around Caracas. US special forces, supported by intelligence assets, successfully captured President Maduro and his wife, transporting them aboard the USS Iwo Jima before flying them to New York to face a federal indictment on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.

The US government has characterised the raid as necessary to disrupt alleged criminal activity and uphold the rule of law. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were charged under longstanding US indictments, including conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed interim presidential authority under Article 233 of Venezuela's constitution and condemned the operation as a violation of national sovereignty. She called for 'mobilisation plans' to resist what she described as an imperialist assault, accusing the United States of targeting Venezuela for its vast natural resources.

Old Gabbard Post Resurfaces, Provokes Backlash

In this volatile context, a tweet from 24 January 2019 by Tulsi Gabbard has resurfaced and gone viral. In the archived post, Gabbard wrote: 'The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don't want other countries to choose our leaders, so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.'

The non-interventionist stance was characteristic of her 2019 foreign policy views as a Democratic presidential candidate, when she criticised US recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaidó and broader regime-change efforts.

Social media users and political commentators have seized on the post, arguing it undercuts Gabbard's credibility now that she occupies a senior role within the administration responsible for a deeply contentious military operation. Some critics have directly questioned her silence in the days since the raid, suggesting that a national intelligence chief who once warned against intervention should now publicly articulate her position.

The backlash spans ideological lines. Some commentators on the left and centre view the operation as a dangerous precedent reminiscent of past US military interventions in Latin America and the Middle East. A former senior US official described the operation's legal basis as unclear and having 'significant geopolitical implications,' given the lack of congressional authorisation and potential violation of the United Nations Charter.

Constitutional Questions Loom

The operation's execution without explicit congressional approval has reignited fierce debate within Washington about executive war powers. Democratic leaders have lambasted the initiative as unlawful and strategically unwise, with prominent federal lawmakers arguing it endangers U.S. troops and global stability. One former vice-presidential candidate publicly denounced the move as both 'unlawful' and a potential catalyst for regional destabilisation.

Legal analysts note that Maduro's detention in US courts on charges dating back to a 2020 indictment is an exceptional case in modern history. While extradition treaties exist, the direct capture and transport of a sitting president by US military forces is virtually unprecedented and will likely face challenges in international legal forums.

Political Consequences Within Washington and Beyond

The controversy reverberates beyond the immediate legal and military domains. Within the intelligence community, Gabbard's leadership has been contentious in recent years. Reports indicate that during her tenure, she has sought to centralise control over intelligence assessments, including dismissing officials whose analyses did not align with the administration's narrative on Venezuelan affairs. These internal moves have drawn criticism from career intelligence professionals concerned about the politicisation of the intelligence apparatus.

Furthermore, her silence or muted response in the post-raid period has raised speculation about fractures within the administration over foreign policy direction. Analysts argue that a public statement would either highlight internal discord or risk undermining the president's strategic narrative at a critical geopolitical moment.

For the Venezuelan people, the implications of the raid and the renewed focus on US policy positions like Gabbard's are profound. Venezuelans inside the country face uncertainty under interim leadership, while the international community watches how diplomatic, economic, and legal reverberations unfold in the coming weeks.