Donald Trump once crowned himself the “President of Peace.” Now, those words are echoing back to haunt him. After storming back into the White House last year on sweeping promises to avoid war at all costs, the 79-year-old president shocked the world on Saturday by ordering land strikes on Venezuela’s capital and announcing he had “captured” the country’s president.
Trump’s past rhetoric is now impossible to ignore. “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” Donald Trump said during his second inaugural address in January 2025
Gavin Newsom, without blinking:
“He wants a Nobel Peace Prize while deploying Marines against his own people?”
Let that sink in. Donald Trump didn’t bring peace. He brought the battlefield home.
U.S. troops in U.S. cities.
That is not leadership. That is escalation. pic.twitter.com/SFoTtGGP6W
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 1, 2026
On the campaign trail, he made the pledge even louder. “Under Trump we will have no more wars, no more disruptions and we will have prosperity and peace for all,” he declared at one rally. At another, he vowed, “I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop wars.” He went even further, insisting, “I am the candidate of peace, I am peace,” as his campaign branded Trump and JD Vance the so-called “pro-peace ticket.”
Once back in office, Donald Trump relentlessly chased a Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly claiming he “deserved” it. His allies echoed the message. “President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It’s time our State Department display that,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X last month after renaming the Institute of Peace in Trump’s honor. Just days ago, Trump doubled down, announcing his New Year’s resolution for 2026 was “Peace on Earth.”
Then the bombs fell. Early Saturday morning, at least seven explosions rocked Caracas as low-flying aircraft swept through the Venezuelan capital. President Nicolás Maduro accused the United States of attacking both civilian and military targets. Hours later, Trump took to Truth Social with a stunning claim: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.”
Well, if this doesn’t win Donald Trump a Nobel Peace Prize, nothing will. pic.twitter.com/2zWBNFYK2O
— Space Mafia (@spacemafia) January 3, 2026
The strikes followed months of escalating pressure on Maduro, who faces US narco-terrorism charges. Maduro denies the accusations, calling the attacks a blatant attempt to overthrow him. Venezuela is now the latest addition to a growing list of countries hit by US military action under Trump’s second term. According to conflict monitor ACLED, Trump launched more airstrikes in his first six months back in office than Joe Biden did in four years.
There were more than 500 US bombings worldwide in 2025 alone, including strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, Yemen’s Houthis, ISIS targets across Africa and the Middle East, and alleged drug-running boats tied to Venezuela. Despite this record, Trump was awarded the controversial Fifa Peace Prize last month. Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for ending eight global conflicts. But those claims have unraveled. Fighting has reignited in multiple regions, mediation efforts have stalled, and India flatly denied Trump’s assertion that he helped broker its ceasefire with Pakistan.
Even lawmakers are pushing back. “This war is illegal,” Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego wrote. Republican Sen. Mike Lee added, “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.” For a president who promised peace, the sound of explosions is now doing the talking.
