Megyn Kelly has expressed a need for caution regarding Donald Trump’s proposed military actions in Venezuela, and she has critiqued Fox News for its enthusiastic support of these efforts. Although Kelly continues to support both Trump and the military, she described the probable atmosphere at Fox News following the hypothetical capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. “If I were still at Fox, I would know I was expected to support it. Watching their coverage was like seeing Russian propaganda—no skepticism, just relentless cheerleading,” Kelly remarked on her show, The Megyn Kelly Show, on Monday.

Kelly urged for a cautious approach, referencing past U.S. military operations in Iraq and Libya that turned problematic and seldom succeeded. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the consequences of unreservedly supporting U.S. interventions abroad, believing they serve our interests or global welfare,” she stated. She also criticized Fox News, admitting past embarrassment from being in a position that uncritically approved U.S. military actions overseas. “We aren’t adept at entering foreign nations, removing their leaders, and then guiding them to prosperity or allowing them to self-navigate,” Kelly added.

Kelly voiced strong opposition to the idea of deploying ground troops in Venezuela, mindful of her teenage children. “I represent many parents when I say I’m remaining cautious until more information is available, and I won’t be joining Fox News in their enthusiastic support this time. I’ve been misled too often,” she explained. She also criticized South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was seen with Trump, supporting the plan on Air Force One. “Seeing Lindsey Graham beside him is a red flag for me. The neocons are celebrating like it’s Christmas in January, which makes me wary. When Lindsey Graham is cheering, I’m skeptical,” Kelly noted. To emphasize her doubts, she invited anti-war journalist Aaron Mate to discuss the issue on her show.

On Monday evening, Trump said the US must ‘nurse’ Venezuela back to health with the help of oil companies and taxpayers might have to help foot the bill. Trump said it will cost ‘a lot of money’ to rebuild the South American country’s energy infrastructure but thinks the US can do it ahead of that 18 month timeline. However, he added that the American taxpayers may be on the hook for it, as the oil companies may receive assistance to do so. ‘I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money,’ he told NBC News. ‘A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.’ When asked if Trump’s ‘America First’ base would stand for nation-building overseas, the president backed himself to maintain the support of his voters. ‘MAGA loves it. MAGA loves what I’m doing. MAGA loves everything I do. MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do, too,’ he said.

Trump also told NBC News that the project could take the next 18 months before Venezuelans elect a new president. ‘We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote,’ Trump said. ‘No, it’s going to take a period of time. We have — we have to nurse the country back to health.’ The president shouted out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubioand Stephen Miller as people responsible for overseeing the process. However, ultimately he said ‘me’ when asked who was responsible.

The president promised that America’s problem is with the people he refers to as narcoterrorists and that the US is not at war with Venezuela. He also insisted the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela. ‘No, we’re not. We’re at war with people that sell drugs. We’re at war with people that empty their prisons into our country and empty their drug addicts and empty their mental institutions into our country,’ he said. Trump said that Marco Rubio ‘speaks fluently in Spanish’ to interim President Delcy Rodriguez but would not say whether he’d spoken to her yet.

Trump hasn’t minced words about the larger message he’s trying to send the world with the raid to capture Maduro and spirit the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges. ‘American dominance in the Western Hemisphere,’ Trump declared following Maduro’s capture, ‘will never be questioned again.’ In the days since the audacious raid, Trump and his team have doubled down on the notion that the new focus on American preeminence in the hemisphere is here to stay. He also held up Maduro’s capture to make the case to neighbors to get in line or potentially face consequences.