A reckless state of mind was betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump in the Jan. 4 morning’s acceptance of the [practice of regime change](https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/01/trump-venezuela-maduro-delcy-rodriguez/685497/?gift, a policy that he had repeatedly campaigned against and which won him significant support. His stump speech included the line: The U.S. will “stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about.”
As he arrived at his West Palm Beach golf club, he spoke with The Atlantic, a publication that Trump owes no favors to. Speaking of Venezuela’s future, he said: “You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse.”
Trump seems to think that regime change—that is, overthrowing elected governments—is like tearing down buildings in New York City. He explained: “Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela’s case. The country’s gone to hell. It’s a failed country. It’s a totally failed country. It’s a country that’s a disaster in every way.” And the real estate developer gets to drive the property into ruin before taking it over.
Asked how his regime change in Venezuela varies from what he had opposed in Iraq, Trump brushed it off, saying: “I didn’t do Iraq. That was [George W.] Bush. You’ll have to ask Bush that question, because we should have never gone into Iraq. That started the Middle East disaster.”
Prompted by a question as to whether his thinking applied to taking over Greenland, Trump continued: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.” He volunteered that it was “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
One can only hope that his golf round of 18 wasn’t as reckless as his statecraft this weekend.
