President Donald Trump's new oil agreement with Venezuela exposes the administration's true intentions toward the country, according to political analyst Will Saletan, who described the deal as an "absolutely disgusting" and coercive resource grab rather than a genuine act of liberation.
Writing for The Bulwark, Saletan pointed to Trump's own statements about the arrangement, including the president's claim that the oil would more than double American reserves and his plan to use Venezuelan crude to refill the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Trump characterized the oil as "a gift from Venezuela to the people of the United States."
Saletan argued that the deal confirms the administration's campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was always about oil, not democracy. He noted that right-wing commentators are no longer framing the operation as a humanitarian mission. Ben Ferguson said on air that the administration understands it has leverage over Venezuela and is "willing to play ball" to get something good from the arrangement. Saletan observed that the leverage in question stems from the fact that the United States just attacked the country.
Rachel Campos-Duffy, wife of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, acknowledged on Fox News that reviews of the deal inside Venezuela are "mostly negative," with skepticism directed at Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president installed by the United States. Saletan noted that Rodríguez shares the same policies as her predecessor, differing mainly in her openness to oil agreements.
Even Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), who has previously spoken about genuine liberation for Latin American nations, now frames the deal as a reward, saying the United States helped Venezuela liberate itself from Maduro and that the payoff should be "fair benefits to the oil companies," including a century of access to the country's reserves.
The most damning admission, according to Saletan, came from Victoria Coates, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump. Coates said Venezuelan oil contracts should be structured so that a change of government would not imperil billions of dollars in private-sector investment. Saletan interpreted this as an effort to ensure oil continues flowing regardless of what the Venezuelan people want, even if the current regime is replaced by a democracy.
Saletan concluded that the deal represents a corruption of both capitalism and socialism, calling it ruthless and wrong. He said the agreement should concern Americans across the political spectrum because it is built on coercion rather than mutual benefit.