White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany made the administration’s stance on the power struggle in Venezuela clear during her briefing on Monday. President Trump recognizes Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela over the infamous socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. McEnany affirmed that the administration stands for freedom, even outside of our borders:
“[We’ve stood] against socialism and on the side of freedom.”
McEnany pointed out that the Obama administration did little to liberate Venezuelans from Maduro's socialist authority, despite the abundance of human rights violations committed by his regime. Former Vice President Joe Biden met with Maduro while in office, as she points out:
Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany: "You had the former Vice President Joe Biden, who actually met with the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and complimented his hair." pic.twitter.com/yjrfGHHKFw
— The Hill (@thehill) June 22, 2020
Rumors of President Trump’s lack of confidence in Guaidó as a leader gained traction, but the president doubled down on his support for the opposition leader, and for freedom over socialism. He clarified that he would only meet Maduro under the circumstances of the dictator's resignation from power:
Unlike the radical left, I will ALWAYS stand against socialism and with the people of Venezuela. My Admin has always stood on the side of FREEDOM and LIBERTY and against the oppressive Maduro regime! I would only meet with Maduro to discuss one thing: a peaceful exit from power!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020