By Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – As families struggle with rent, groceries, and health care costs, Donald Trump is once again trying to drag the national conversation off course – this time with the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro has ruled Venezuela as an authoritarian dictator, rigging elections, imprisoning political opponents, and driving millions of Venezuelans into poverty and exile through corruption and economic mismanagement. His removal is undoubtedly welcomed by those who suffered under his regime.
But Trump didn’t work through Congress or international institutions—he acted unilaterally. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on ABC’s “This Week,” “Maduro’s a horrible, horrible person, but you don’t treat lawlessness with other lawlessness, and that’s what’s happened here.”
Yet for most Americans, Venezuela is not the issue keeping them up at night. Affordability is. That’s the reality Democrats must stay anchored in. We cannot allow ourselves to be pulled into Trump’s Venezuela trap. Venezuela is a deliberate distraction from the affordability crisis Trump dismisses as a hoax, from his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and from a parade of scandals that have sent his approval ratings plummeting. He needs Americans focused anywhere but on the issues that actually affect their daily lives.
Poll after poll shows working class Americans are anxious about the cost of living. A recent Politico poll found 65% of U.S. households say the cost of living has gotten worse or much worse in the past year. They want to know why wages aren’t keeping up, why housing feels out of reach, and why basic necessities cost so much more than they did just a few years ago. These are concrete problems that need concrete solutions and Trump has failed to provide any. The political advantage for Democrats is staying focused on the affordability crisis.
Trump understands this dynamic, which is exactly why he’s trying to change the subject. He’d rather talk about foreign enemies than explain how his tax cuts for the wealthy and tariffs on everyday goods have raised costs for working families. He’d rather stir fear and nationalism than defend policies that have left many Americans worse off. He’d rather talk about Venezuelan drug cartels than rising healthcare costs.
Democrats should not help him by amplifying the distraction.
The right response to Venezuela is message discipline. Acknowledge Trump’s Venezuela hypocrisy. Call out how Trump has said the quiet part out loud, admitting that securing Venezuela’s oil for American companies was a driving factor in his decision, promising that U.S. oil giants would spend “billions of dollars” on Venezuela’s infrastructure. At the same time, Americans get “reimbursed” for military action. And then pivot—again and again—back to affordability. Our mantra should be: Democrats are for lowering costs, raising wages, affordable housing, and protecting consumers from corporate price-gouging, while Trump is for higher prices and endless wars.
Voters don’t want theatrics. They want relief. If Democrats stay centered on the everyday economic pressures families feel in their bank accounts and monthly bills, they deny Trump the distraction he’s seeking and speak directly to what matters most. They put themselves in a position to actually regain some power in Washington and rein in Trump’s power grabs.
Democrats can’t afford to chase Trump’s latest distraction in Venezuela. We should double down on the affordability fight that actually improves people’s lives here at home.
Above all, Democrats must remember the great lesson from famed strategist James Carville – “it’s the economy, stupid.”
Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel are veteran Democratic strategists with over 100 political campaigns between them, including the past five presidential elections and several congressional races. They co-host “Maroon Bison Presents: The Southern Comfort Podcast.”
