FORT BRAGG, N.C. — President Donald Trump on Friday honored members of U.S. Special operations forces involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, using the event as a rally to encourage military personnel to support Republican candidates in upcoming midterm elections.
Addressing troops at Fort Bragg, Trump praised the operation, which he described as a demonstration of American military strength. “Last month we proved this truth once again when some of our greatest soldiers, right here to ever live, frankly, successfully captured the outlaw dictator of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro,” Trump said, according to a transcript of his remarks. The White House has referred to the operation as “Operation Absolute Resolve.”
The visit, which included First Lady Melania Trump, centered on recognizing the special forces who carried out the mission. Trump described the operation as unprecedented, noting a Venezuelan general present at Maduro’s compound had fled before capture, while others were not so fortunate. “We did recently in Venezuela, nobody ever saw anything like that happening,” he stated.
During his address, Trump also alluded to potential changes if Democrats were to regain control in the midterm elections. He warned that Democrats would reinstate the base’s former name, Fort Liberty, after it was recently changed back to Fort Bragg during his administration. “If we don’t win the midterms, they’ll take it off again and take it off again. You can’t let that happen,” he said.
Trump further asserted that a Democratic victory would negatively impact the military, claiming resources would be stripped and the armed forces would be “simply misserved.” He contrasted this with his administration’s efforts to “rebuild” and strengthen the military, citing increased recruitment numbers.
The operation to capture Maduro involved highly trained Delta Force operators who rehearsed the extraction in a full-scale replica of his compound, practicing the layout in complete darkness, officials have said. Trump also revealed that U.S. Helicopter pilots sustained injuries during the raid.
Beyond the military accolades, Trump used the occasion to promote Michael Whatley, a former chair of the Republican National Committee currently running for Senate in North Carolina. “If he gets in, you’re going to be taken care of,” Trump told the assembled troops.
The visit took place as Maduro is being pursued in U.S. Narcotics cases, following his capture in January. The operation was overseen by the Joint Special Operations Command, which is headquartered at Fort Bragg.
