Stephen Miller goes nuclear on Jake Tapper while discussing US invasion of Venezuela

WASHINGTON, DC: Senior White House aide Stephen Miller got into a fiery argument with CNN's Jake Tapper while discussing the US invasion of Venezuela and said, "We’re not going to let a country fall into the hands of our adversaries."

On Monday, January 5, Tapper asked why Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado wasn’t suitable for the Trump administration to become the next president or interim leader.

Stephen Miller slams Jake Tapper for his 'neoliberal frame' approach

During the segment, Miller answered Jake Tapper and said, "All Venezuela experts agree that it would be absurd and preposterous for us to suddenly fly her into the country and to put her in charge, and the military would follow her, and the security forces would follow her."

"This isn’t this is not a serious — it’s not even a serious question," he added. 

Meanwhile, Tapper asked if there should be elections, and Miller then talked about the Monroe Doctrine and the 'Trump Doctrine' that he claimed ensures 'the future of the free world'. Tapper then reminded Miller that Decly Rodriguez, who took charge of the country in the absence of Nicolas Maduro, 'is part of the Maduro regime.'

"The reason why I was giving you that speech, which I know you didn’t want to hear, is because you’re approaching this from the wrong frame. This neoliberal frame that the United States’s job is to go around the world and demanding immediate elections to be held everywhere immediately, all the time, right away," Miller told Tapper. 

Tapper replied, "No, that’s not what I think. But you invaded the country! We went into the country and we seized the leader of Venezuela."

A furious Miller replied, "Damn straight we did! Because the point, Jake, is we’re not going to let tinpot communist dictators send ra***ts into our country, send dr**s into our country, send weapons into our country, okay? And we’re not going to let a country fall into the hands of our adversaries."

Nicolas Maduro faces first US court hearing 

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in New York City on Monday, January 5, for their first appearance in a US federal court following their capture by American forces last Saturday. 

The proceedings come after a high-profile US military operation removed the couple from Caracas and transferred them to federal custody. The couple faces charges in the Southern District of New York for organized crime conspiracy, conspiracy to import prohibited substances, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those weapons against the United States. 

The charges were unsealed on Saturday, January 3, after US forces captured Maduro and Flores at their heavily fortified compound in Caracas during a military mission dubbed 'Operation Absolute Resolve.'

The Trump administration has repeatedly described Maduro’s government as illegitimate, alleging that he maintained power through rigged elections, including in 2024.