Trump brings American interventionism roaring back

Under the banner of America First, President Trump is attacking countries all over the world.Why it matters: American interventionism is back, in Trumpian technicolor, as seen in the attacks in Caracas overnight and extradition-by-force of President Nicolás Maduro.Breaking it down: In just under one year, Trump has:Conducted massive strikes on Iran's nuclear program and threatened to intervene further to defend protesters there;Bombed six additional countries, most recently Nigeria in the name of defending Christians; Appointed himself chair of a governing board for Gaza and made himself the personal guarantor in an array of other diplomatic initiatives; Sent an enormous armada to Venezuela to blow up drug boats and, it's now clear, to depose a sitting world leader. Friction point: He's done most of that without seeking approval from Congress or trying to build any kind of international legitimacy.The other side: The Trump administration argues that Maduro is a drug kingpin and not the legitimate president of Venezuela because he rigged elections to keep power. Thus, the argument goes, detaining him was legally sound and in America's interest, insofar as it curtails drug trafficking from Venezuela.Reality check: Few in the region and around the world will see it that way.It's also unlikely the U.S. would simply stand by if another country deposed a sitting world leader under similar circumstances, particularly if that leader was ideologically aligned with Trump.But the new Trump Doctrine effectively states that, at least in the Western Hemisphere, American might makes right.It was Maduro's misfortunate to be sitting within Trump's self-declared sphere of influence.What to watch: How Beijing and Moscow react — rhetorically for now, but also within their own spheres in the longer term.