Aggression against Venezuela was foretold
The portions of Project 2025 dedicated to the State Department identified five nations which should be monitored for activities counter to U.S.’ interests: China, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and N. Korea. 1
Generally speaking, Project 2025 assumes a much more adversarial position against countries we tend to consider “competition,” like China. It advocates for a demonstrably aggressive stance against Iran and Venezuela in particular:
“The correct future policy for Iran is one that acknowledges that it is U.S. national security interests, the Iranian people’s human rights interests, and a broader global interest in peace and stability for the Iranian people to have the democratic government they demand.” 2
The chapter describes Venezuela’s decline under the Communist regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro over the past 24 years…. The text also highlights Venezuela’s growing ties to U.S. adversaries, including China and Iran, which “have long sought a foothold in the Americas.”… [It] recommends that the next administration “take important steps to put Venezuela’s Communist abusers on notice.” 3
I highlight these because the U.S. is currently involved in heightened tensions with Venezuela, and, as of today, Iran. 4, 5
Conservatives were apparently less straightforward in their positions on Russia — specifically, its war with Ukraine. Some supported U.S. involvement and support for Ukraine; some denied that U.S. Ukrainian support was in the national interest at all; and some advocated continued U.S. involvement provided it was fully paid for, limited to military aid, and reflect a clearly defined, risk-averse strategy.
China was described as a “serious and dangerous” threat, calling for defensive strategy for protecting U.S. citizens and their interests from CCP attacks and abuse, safeguarding U.S. allies, and implementing a “cost-imposing strategic response to make Beijing’s aggression unaffordable.” But it also sensibly cautions against conflating the Chinese people and the CCP. 6
Project 2025’s position on N. Korea is quite direct: “The DPRK must not be permitted to profit from its blatant violations of international commitments or to threaten other nations with nuclear blackmail.” Its imperatives were straightforward: the DPRK must be deterred from military conflict, and that “the United States cannot permit the DPRK to remain a de factor nuclear power with the capacity to threaten the United States or its allies.” 7
President Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged barbs in the past. 8
- Woodward, B. (2025). Project 2025 explained chapter-by-chapter: Understanding the Conservative Promise : a Comprehensive Fully-vetted Analysis of The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership.
↩︎ - (Woodward, 2025, p .47.)
↩︎ - Ibid.
↩︎ - U.S. Sec of State Rubio behind current actions against Venezuelan Oil. (2025b, December 31). On Current Events. https://currentevents.blog/2025/12/30/rubio-venezuelan-oil
↩︎ - Dehghanpisheh, B., & Sheeley, C. (2026, January 2). Trump says U.S. will intervene if Iran kills peaceful protesters as economic unrest spreads. NBC News. Retrieved January 2, 2026, from https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/trump-us-intervene-iran-kills-protesters-economic-unrest-rcna251875
↩︎ - (Woodward, 2025, p. 47.)
↩︎ - Ibid., 47-48.
↩︎ - Mountain collapse likely behind sudden thaw in Korean relations. (2025, December 30). On Current Events. https://currentevents.blog/2018/04/30/sudden-thaw-in-korean-relations/ ↩︎
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