BETHLEHEM, Pa. — What's going on in Venezuela?
This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick dive into foreign developments kicking off the year, like President Donald Trump's recent decision to raid the South American country.
"It's a wild start to 2026," Borick said of the current events.
While the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife has many Americans concerned, Borick noted it also has raised eyebrows among Republicans.
"Remember, the President's always run on no foreign wars, no foreign engagement, America first," Borick said. "Let's step back from that. This runs counter to that in a lot of ways, and you've seen that in terms of the reaction in Congress."
Borick said Republicans haven't entirely withdrawn their support from Trump, "but they've asked questions."
He added that, should turmoil like this continue further into the year, it could push Republicans and MAGA supporters to question "Is the President now who he said he was when he ran for his second term?"
Shortell also brings up Trump's comment on Iraq oil supplies and the U.S. Customs and Immigrations Enforcement operation in Minneapolis that left one woman dead.
These recent political headlines have led to significant drops in opinion polling, Borick said.
To learn more, press play on the YouTube module above to watch the full episode of this week's segment of Political Pulse.
