Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) is defending the Trump administration’s decision to engage with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, despite her own history of sharp criticism toward the figure.
Salazar appeared on CBS News’ Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on September 20, 2026, where she offered a blunt but pragmatic assessment of the controversial partnership.
“Delcy is just a necessary evil for now to stabilize,” Salazar said, framing the engagement as a short-term political calculation rather than an ideological endorsement.
The Florida congresswoman argued that President Trump’s approach to Venezuela has strategically maneuvered difficult actors into positions that could ultimately benefit democratic forces in the country.
Salazar claimed that Trump “has forced the bad actors to create the platform for the good actors to come in,” suggesting the administration sees the current arrangement as a transitional mechanism.
She expressed confidence that the current engagement with Rodríguez would not be permanent, pointing toward what she described as an eventual democratic transition and the holding of free elections in Venezuela.
The remarks represent a notable shift in tone from Salazar, who has previously been among the most vocal critics of Venezuelan leadership figures aligned with the Maduro government.
Rodríguez has long been a polarizing figure in Venezuelan politics, and any U.S. engagement with her carries significant political weight, particularly among Venezuelan-American communities in Florida.
Salazar’s Florida district includes a large and politically active Venezuelan diaspora, making her public positioning on Venezuela policy especially consequential heading into the next election cycle.
The congresswoman’s defense of the Trump strategy reflects a broader Republican effort to frame unconventional diplomatic moves as hardheaded pragmatism rather than ideological compromise.
Critics are likely to challenge Salazar’s characterization, arguing that legitimizing figures like Rodríguez undermines longstanding U.S. policy objectives around democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Whether the administration’s approach ultimately produces the democratic outcomes Salazar is predicting remains to be seen, but her public support signals coordinated messaging from Republican allies on Capitol Hill.
