Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is voicing concern about what he sees as the United States slipping into a role of global imperialism, and he’s using the country’s involvement in Venezuela as a prime example.
In a recent post on X, Sanders wrote: “Yes. We have the strongest military in the world. We can dominate other countries and steal their resources. But is that the kind of imperialist country that the American people want us to be? I don’t think so.”
Sanders wasn’t just making a dramatic point; he was responding during the CNN segment, where he joined a live discussion after White House advisor Stephen Miller spoke openly and unapologetically about U.S. involvement in Venezuela.
Miller: U.S. ‘In Charge’ of Venezuela
Miller told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “By definition, we are in charge because we have the United States military stationed outside the country. We set the terms and conditions. We have a complete embargo on all of their oil and their ability to do commerce. So for them to do commerce, they need our permission. For them to be able to run an economy, they need our permission. So the United States is in charge. The United States is running the country during this transition period.”
In the same interview, Miller added that the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela because of the threat posed by military forces stationed off the country’s coast.
Special Forces, Naval Presence, and Detentions
Miller detailed a midnight special forces assault on Caracas, claiming that the U.S. operation targeted and killed large numbers of Cuban Guards loyal to former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to Miller, no American lives were lost, and there were no reported civilian casualties.
“Every single kill was an enemy kill,” he said.
He described the months-long buildup to the operation, including a naval armada and air support encircling Venezuela.
“The United States of America has encircled this nation for months,” Miller said, calling it one of the largest naval deployments in U.S. history.
“We have been engaging in kinetic lethal strikes against Maduro’s drug boats and trained Arawak gang members leaving the island.”
Miller also confirmed that Maduro and his wife were taken into U.S. custody and are now being held in New York.
When asked if the U.S. would seek to extradite additional Venezuelan officials, including Maduro’s son, Miller said those decisions could be part of a “future conversation.”
Sanders: Time to Refocus at Home
Asked directly by CNN’s Jake Tapper for his reaction, Sanders didn’t hesitate.
“Well, that’s the definition. Mr. Miller gave a very good definition of imperialism.”
He went on to say, “That’s not new. England did it. France did it. Countries all over the world historically have done it. The United States has done it. We are powerful. We have the strongest military on earth. We can run any country we want. Is that really the kind of America that our people want? I don’t think so.”
Sanders is calling on Americans to reflect on what kind of global role the U.S. should play. For him, the priority should be turning inward, not outward.
“I think they would rather us pay attention to improving our broken health care system, making sure that workers have decent wages, dealing with a housing crisis, which is so significant in virtually every state in this country,” he said.
Foreign Policy or Empire Building?
While Sanders has long been critical of U.S. military interventions abroad, this latest round of comments comes at a time when the U.S. role in Latin America is facing renewed scrutiny.
Sanctions and military posturing in countries like Venezuela and Cuba have drawn criticism from human rights groups and some members of Congress who argue that such policies hurt civilians more than regimes.
Miller’s remarks were unusually candid, laying bare a vision of U.S. foreign policy that, for many, echoes an older playbook of domination and control.
By calling it out, Sanders is betting that the American public doesn’t want to play empire.
The Bigger Picture
He’s also drawing a straight line between military spending and domestic neglect.
In Sanders’ view, the billions of dollars spent asserting U.S. power abroad could be redirected toward pressing needs at home: affordable housing, universal health care, higher wages, and stronger public infrastructure.
In his social media post and TV response, Sanders didn’t deny the nation’s strength. If anything, he acknowledged it in full. But he questioned how it’s being used.
For Sanders, it’s not about weakness. It’s about restraint, and priorities. And he’s pushing for a serious national conversation on both.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Bernie Sanders” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.