'If You Can Keep It': American Intervention Abroad
1A
NPR
4.4 • 4.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 January 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
According to Venezuela’s interior minister, 100 people died during the U.S. abduction of Maduro. Since September, the administration has killed at least 115 people in 30 boat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
These military actions in the region are raising questions about the nature of U.S. intervention abroad. Last week, the Senate advanced a measure limiting Trump’s power to take further military action in Venezuela.
Now, the president is threatening intervention in Iran amid crackdowns on protests across the country. And here in the U.S., federal agents shot three civilians last week, injuring a man and woman in Portland and killing a woman in Minneapolis.
What does President Trump’s military intervention abroad mean for issues at home? And for our allies and enemies abroad?
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | In the space of just one week, President Trump ordered the seizure and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, asserted control over the country's government, and took over its crude oil industry. |
| 0:19.4 | According to Venezuela's Interior Ministry, 100 people died in the United States' attack and arrest of Maduro. |
| 0:27.0 | Since September, the administration has killed at least 115 people in 30 boat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific. |
| 0:34.1 | But President Trump's military actions in the region are raising serious questions about U.S. intervention abroad. |
| 0:40.3 | I am a Venezuelan-American, very disgusted with what the President Trump said, and it's doing with my country. |
| 0:47.7 | The person that is in charge is wealthy, is not Maduro. My friends and families are being detained every time in the highways, in the |
| 0:58.0 | in the streets, and as for documents, and they cannot see anything or say anything about the government. |
| 1:06.0 | They have to go to the streets to protest for the liberation of Maduro. |
| 1:12.9 | So the person in charge is DELC. |
| 1:15.9 | The U.S. government took the clown of the circles and left the circus running. |
| 1:22.0 | Maduro have to be here in prison, but Trump is doing that very badly. |
| 1:28.7 | Last week, the Senate advanced a measure limiting President Trump's power to take further |
| 1:33.3 | military action in Venezuela. President Trump is also now threatened military intervention |
| 1:39.0 | in Iran amid crackdowns on protests in that country where 500 protesters have been killed. |
| 1:45.4 | And meanwhile, here in the U.S. federal agents shot three civilians last week, |
| 1:50.4 | injuring a man and a woman in Portland, Oregon, and killing a woman in Minneapolis. |
| 1:55.6 | This weekend, there were protests across the country. |
| 1:57.7 | For this installment of our weekly politics series, if you can keep it, |
| 2:01.8 | what does President Trump's military intervention abroad mean for the focus on issues at home? |
| 2:07.1 | I'm Jen White. And I'm Todd's Willey. Stay with us. We've got a lot to get to. |
| 2:15.9 | Joining us for this conversation is Paul Post. |
| 2:18.7 | He's non-resident senior fellow of Foreign Affairs and Public Opinion at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 19 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.