What Explains Trump’s Aggression Against Venezuela?

Jonathan Chait: “The buildup to a possible conflict with Venezuela, which has included attacks on boats and a gathering of forces in the Caribbean, is unusual, even surreal, in its lack of a coherent public rationale. Not only has the administration failed to seek authorization for continued operations from Congress—as the Constitution requires for any military action longer than 60 days—it is barely engaging in the kind of jingoistic rhetoric that usually prefigures a conflict.”

“The administration has doubled the reward for anything that might help lead to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture, but Trump hasn’t convincingly explained why.”