What happens when the language of “protecting the homeland” is used to sell a new regime change next door? We sit down with Kelley Vlahos to map the quiet return of neoconservative logic through a Venezuela push that’s packaged for a nationalist audience. The pitch is simple and potent: cartels, chaos, and a dictator at our doorstep. The implications are anything but simple. From asymmetric risks and migration shocks to the legal fog around authorizations, we trace how a narrow narrative can lock in a broad escalatory path.

Behind the scenes, personnel is policy. Kelley breaks down how Marco Rubio’s dual grip on State and the NSC, with backing from key advisors, is steering decisions while restraint voices get sidelined. That power shift collides with a Right already strained by Gaza and Ukraine, where “America First” voters see mission creep rather than clear interests. If Venezuela becomes the next front, we explore whether the movement fractures into a real civil war over foreign policy—and what that means for 2028 and beyond.

Then we follow the money and the metal. A deep dive into missile economics exposes a harsh constraint: U.S. interceptors cost multiples of Russian equivalents, stockpiles are thin, and production timelines are slow. After Ukraine, Red Sea intercepts, and Israel’s defense needs, the idea of adding Venezuela to a global posture looks like wishful thinking. Strategy cannot outrun logistics. We lay out what a sober path would require: honest objectives, congressional oversight, a rebuilt industrial base, and a tighter definition of vital interests.

If you value clear-eyed foreign policy and real debate over slogans, hit follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review with your take on Venezuela: deterrence, diplomacy, or something else?

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