this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2026
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WHAT WOULD DONALD Trump have to do for the U.S. media to frame what he is doing in Venezuela as an act of war?

This isn’t a rhetorical question. It’s an actual inquiry, the pursuit of which can reveal a lot about how U.S. media’s default posture is state subservience and stenography. In the past few months, President Trump has committed several clear acts of war against Venezuela, including: murdering — in cold blood — scores of its citizens, hijacking its ships, stealing its resources, issuing a naval blockade, and attacking its ports. Then in a stunning escalation on early Saturday morning, the administration invaded Venezuela’s sovereign territory, bombing several buildings, killing at least 40 more of its citizens, kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their bed, and announcing they will, henceforth, “run” the country.

This episode seems to indicate that the president can do almost anything in the context of foreign policy, and the media will still overwhelmingly adopt language that is flattering and sanitizing to the administration when describing what has unfolded. This dynamic reached a new low Saturday morning, when the U.S. media rushed to frame the administration’s unprovoked attack as, at worst, a “ratcheted up” (CBS News) “pressure campaign” (Wall Street Journal) and, as was more often the case, some type of limited narcotics police “operation” (CNN).

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[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 169 points 1 week ago (6 children)

If China decided that trump had violated some domestic law of theirs, and sent their military into Florida, dragged him and his third wife out of their beds, flew them back to their territory, and put them in prison, would these assholes consider that an act of war?

[–] velindora@lemmy.cafe 69 points 1 week ago (3 children)
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[–] aarch0x40@piefed.social 47 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] JLock17@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

50% chub, and rising.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

Don't promise me a good time

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 week ago

Stop, I can only get so erect.

[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

MAGA would be screaming about it until the end of time if that happened. Because it's different. Somehow.

[–] amorangi@lemmy.nz 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's called American Exceptionalism, and it's much older than MAGA.

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[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They'd say "interesting that you'd use China as an example you commie"

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[–] SarahFromOz@lemmy.world 108 points 1 week ago (2 children)

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,”

Or the support of the press !

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 31 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Major news organisations in general are really scared when it comes to pointing out things which are extreme, because they believe describing those things as extreme will lead to accusations of sensationalism. The reason they think that is because sensationalist outlets are indeed more likely to describe everything as extreme and make unjustified comparisons to extremities, so major media outlets often think that to be "unbiased" is to refuse to acknowledge that an action is extreme.

Vox described this as the "this is fine" bias.

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Major "news" organisations are owned by oligarchs who support Trump so they have abandoned any pretence of accountability

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[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Once you have replaced the press leadership with lackeys then yes. They had a very very productive 2025 for doing things to eliminate resistance

[–] rylock@piefed.zip 93 points 1 week ago (3 children)

ABC was covering it like it was a football game. "Incredible performance from the US military", "Flawless victory over the Venezuelans", "Impressive display of professionalism from the troops"

Makes me sick.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 25 points 1 week ago (6 children)

That is nauseating. These are human lives, 80 people died

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 11 points 1 week ago

That's cause only white people matter.

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[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 86 points 1 week ago (1 children)

USA Nukes Poland

"The president took another eyebrow-raising strategy today, let's talk to a panel of assorted youtube streamers to analyze what he meant with this action..."

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Friggin RIGHT?!?!?!

The semantics at play indicate the media "watchdogs" have put their tails between their legs and pissed themselves.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Media is just bought and controlled by the corporate donor class who have installed this administration to begin with. Every major outlet is compromised.

Every time you see media making the administration angry or they have spats, it's just performance. I think if everyone realized how much of what we are experiencing is kayfabe people would have a mental breakdown.

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I keep trying to point this out to my mother, who keeps overreacting to one news story after another. She agrees in the moment that it's all theater, then goes right back to being outraged by every obvious bait story.

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[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 79 points 1 week ago (6 children)

"Special military operation"

[–] ewo@piefed.ca 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

At least Dr Evil was evilly cool compared to these facists!

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[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

Billionaire owned media isn't covering this?

[–] Naevermix@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It is an act of war, the "capture" of Maduro is a kidnapping, and the deaths of ~80 cuban and venezuelan security and civilians is murder.

USA is a rogue state.

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 7 points 1 week ago

Not many people are bringing up that the US invaded a country and not only kidnapped a guy, but left a trail of bodies.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-attack-venezuela-death-toll-rises-80-civilians-and-military-personnel-1

[–] shiftymccool@piefed.ca 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Please, we desperately need to be invaded and conquered by the most convenient communist country

Edit: not sarcasm

[–] joyjoy@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Special Millitary Operation in Venezuela. Quick 30 minute adventure. 

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Dipshits are gonna be greedy, fuck it up and turn it in to an another Afganistan. This time really close to home.

Nobody likes Maduro. They should play with that, take their successful 30min and exit.

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[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The world is sleepwalking into WWIII

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[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The subscription billionaire media companies are all complicit, and have been for quite a while.

[–] melfie@lemy.lol 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

As written by General Buttler in 1935, War is a Racket. The billionaire cabal benefits from war immensely, and the media they own and control will always sing the praises of war.

[–] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do ya'll not have search engines? Literally anybody can find like 20 articles calling it an Act of War with the press of a button.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And you can find as many saying it isn't. Confirmation bias is in play here

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[–] J92@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Christ, I hope my country is putting some serious effort into jailbreaking their F-35s.

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[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This was an act of war wrapped in the shroud of narcotics enforcement

[–] Naevermix@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Who actually believed that justification? Not even the MAGA crowd believe it, they just straight up say its about oil. Back in 2016 they called neocons "rhinos", now MAGA is neocon, cheering for the very same things they previously hated Bush Jr. for.

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[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Will be interesting to see what Maduro’s trial judge says.

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[–] OshagHennessey@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

The US media is owned by the same oligarchs who benefit from his fascism. Why would they bite the hand that feeds?

[–] velindora@lemmy.cafe 7 points 1 week ago

It’s just locker room abduction.

[–] roserose56@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Why they would? like come on dude! do you want to be taken to el salvador ? like wake up! USA is a dead country where people are deported for what they are saying. Why The media or any media would want that?
USA started a war with Iraq and many other countries including Venezuela. We all pretend that didn't expect it, but yet we knew, and we are partners in a crime. The thing is we didn't stop it and we wont(as countries).
Sit and watch.

[–] CircaV@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago
[–] Lembot_0006@programming.dev 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Does Venezuela see this as an act of war? Regardless of if they're going to fight or not. Ask people.

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (12 children)

The Venezuelan government might. But according to some DW reporting and footage earlier today, the actual reaction of ordinary Venezuelans is mixed, and mostly concern and confusion rather than anger or fear. Maduro is generally not popular in Venezuela but I doubt many people really wanted the US to come and kidnap him. And understandably those who supported him are in the streets calling for his release.

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[–] stiffyGlitch@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

nah bro its just a gentle love tap

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