The Trump Administration’s shockingly successful removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro (captured and flown out of Caracas on Saturday morning to face trial for drug trafficking in New York City) was greeted with sulky attitudes in a mainstream press unwilling to credit Trump for a move that may well drastically improve the lives of millions of Venezuelans.
The New York Times has been particularly petulant on Trump's bold military maneuver. Roca News rounded up headlines from New York Times op-eds and Letters to the Editor and found an almost exclusively negative trend (links and bylines provided by NewsBusters). Here's a sampling:
“Trump’s Attack on Venezuela Is Illegal and Unwise,” by the paper’s Editorial Board.
“To Trump, on Venezuela: You Break It, You Own It,” by opinion columnist Thomas Friedman.
“Maduro’s Ouster Plays Right Into Putin’s Hands,” by opinion columnist M. Gessen.
“This Isn’t Regime Change. It’s Extortion,” by opinion columnist Michelle Goldberg.
“Trump Is Unleashing Forces Beyond His Control,” by opinion columnist David French.
“The Danger of Trump’s Flamboyant Violence,” by Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer Mr. Sullivan is a former national security adviser. Mr. Finer is a former principal deputy national security adviser.
“Who Wins From Trump’s Venezuela Oil Gambit? Not Regular Americans,” guest essay by economist Rebecca Patterson.
“‘Arrogant, Dangerous and Illegal’: Trump’s Motives for the Attack on Venezuela,” headline over the Letters to the Editor section.
And NewsBusters found the paper’s news stories to be almost as bad. A sampling:
Tuesday lead story: “Maduro, Appearing in U.S. Court for Arraignment, Says He Was ‘Kidnapped’ and Pleads Not Guilty.”
Tuesday front-page story: “Trump’s Goals for Reviving Venezuela’s Oil Industry Will Not Come Easily or Cheaply.”
Page A8 Tuesday: "Venezuela’s Legislators Offer Scorn as Trump Demands Obedience."
Wednesday lead story: “Trump’s Foray Into Venezuela Could Embolden Russia’s and China’s Own Aggression.”
Wednesday front-page story: “After Maduro’s Ouster, Marco Rubio Faces the Challenge of Running Venezuela.”
A story posted Wednesday, perhaps bound for Thursday’s edition: “Maduro Is Gone, but Repression in Venezuela Has Intensified.”
There were a few scattered positive or more neutral headlines, such as “Returning Home No Longer Seems Out of Reach for Venezuelans in Florida” and “South Florida Is at Its Peak Political Influence After Maduro’s Capture,” both by Patricia Mazzei reporting from Florida.
