President Donald Trump’s intense focus on Venezuela is unsettling some of his own aides and allies as a pivotal midterm election approaches.
Trump’s preoccupation with the brazen U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has frustrated senior White House officials and Republican lawmakers who want the administration to emphasize economic and healthcare concerns, three people familiar with internal discussions told Reuters.
With voters still disgruntled about prices and affordability, some allies fear the foreign-policy drumbeat could endanger the party’s narrow hold on Congress in November.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, her deputy James Blair, and Vice President JD Vance have pressed the president to refocus on domestic priorities, two White House officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. Vance has been the most persistent voice, repeatedly steering meetings back to what officials described as kitchen-table issues.
Trump has acknowledged the internal push. He said last month that Wiles urged him to deliver a national address centered on inflation and costs.
But aides say his attention quickly returned to international matters following last week’s Venezuela operation, leaving some officials “openly frustrated” as foreign affairs continue to dominate his public remarks.
While inflation has eased, affordability remains a top concern for voters facing high housing, food, and health insurance costs. Politico’s Playbook reported that some Trump allies are increasingly wary, noting that “foreign interventions have a habit of swallowing presidencies.”
“And if voters can’t see how Venezuela connects to their own pocketbooks, it risks crowding out the affordability message Republicans want to hammer ahead of the midterms,” Playbook wrote.
Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz told the outlet, “There’s a big difference between the nation building and regime change of the neocons and what the president is doing,” adding, “We just need to stay very clear on our message on how our foreign policy impacts us domestically.”
Asked for comment, the White House told Reuters that Trump has always prioritized the economy, pointing to recent announcements aimed at lowering home prices.
His foreign policy, the statement said, has “consistently put America First.” Spokeswoman Anna Kelly added, “The President will always work to bring investments and deliverables back to our country.”
Concerns about Trump’s focus are not new. In recent weeks, he has floated threats toward Greenland and Panama, ordered strikes in Syria and Nigeria, and pushed diplomatic efforts related to Ukraine and Russia. But aides say the anxiety has sharpened as the administration enters an election year originally slated for a heavier domestic messaging push.
One former senior Trump adviser summed up the risk bluntly: “People vote on their pocketbooks. They don’t vote on foreign affairs, with rare exceptions.”
They added: “But you can absolutely get punished badly when overseas adventures go poorly.”
Wiles, Blair, and Vance have been contacted by the Daily Beast for comment.
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