Hollywood outrage exploded after President Donald Trump confirmed U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flew them to American soil for trial.
Actor Ethan Hawke reacted publicly as details of the operation emerged Saturday night, framing the arrests and military strikes as another personal breaking point with the Trump administration.
Hawke admitted he was already upset earlier in the day before learning about the Venezuela operation.
“A little bit in shock about it, I was already upset about the Kennedy Center honor, and now we’re bombing them [Venezuela] ” he said while venting frustration during an interview with Variety.
Ethan Hawke on the recent news involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro: “Power corrupts. History is littered with selfish and greedy people.” #PSIFF pic.twitter.com/dgbZAWmPhx
— Variety (@Variety) January 4, 2026
The actor leaned into familiar Hollywood talking points about power and corruption while responding to questions about whether the president’s actions made sense to him.
Hawke shook his head and pointed to his stage background as a guide for interpreting global politics.
“I have done enough Shakespeare plays to know that power corrupts,” he remarked, invoking a broad warning rather than addressing the specifics of the arrests.
🚨 LMAO! President Trump responded to those who called his capture of Nicolas Maduro “kidnapping” in the most Trump way ever
“That’s alright! That’s not a bad term!” 🤣
There’ll never be another President like Trump pic.twitter.com/HkUGOQbkdI
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 5, 2026
He later cited a well known historical phrase while criticizing Trump’s leadership style.
“Power corrupts […] History is littered with selfish and greedy people,” Hawke added, borrowing words attributed to English historian and politician Lord Acton.
TRUMP: Colombia is very sick too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US, and he's not gonna be doing it very long
Q: So there's will be an operation by the US in Colombia?
TRUMP: Sounds good to me pic.twitter.com/jotpgg3c1d
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 5, 2026
Hawke’s reaction came as explosions rocked Caracas and Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken into custody and removed from the country.
President Trump confirmed the operation personally in a Truth Social statement, portraying the mission as decisive and coordinated.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” Trump wrote.
Later that day, Trump expanded on the situation during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, where questions quickly turned to who now controls Venezuela.
Trump brushed aside attempts to pin him down on leadership details, warning that any direct answer would spark controversy.
“Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer, and it’ll be very controversial,” Trump commented
Pressed again moments later, the president offered a blunt clarification. “It means we’re in charge.”
Trump was also questioned about whether he had spoken directly with Venezuela’s newly sworn-in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez amid uncertainty surrounding the country’s transition.
While Trump said he had not personally spoken with Rodríguez, he suggested coordination was already underway between U.S. officials and the new leadership forming in the aftermath of Maduro’s removal.
During the exchange, Trump repeatedly described Venezuela as a nation hollowed out by years of mismanagement and unable to flip a switch to democratic stability overnight.
He framed U.S. involvement as necessary rather than optional, arguing the country’s infrastructure and economy were effectively broken.
Trump also drew a direct comparison between Venezuela’s collapse and what he claimed the United States would have faced had he lost reelection.
“We have to do one thing in Venezuela. Bring it back. It’s a dead country right now,” Trump remarked.
“It’s a country that, frankly, we would have been if I had lost the election. We would have been Venezuela on steroids.”
As Trump spoke, backlash from left-wing celebrities surged across social media platforms, with calls for impeachment and accusations about the administration’s motives.
Actress Mia Farrow demanded, “Impeach this evil guy.” She followed with claims about oil interests driving the operation and urged government officials to act.
“Trump & his billionaire oil company pals want Venezuela’s oil. Hoping our branches of government finally go spine shopping and do what is right-for America, our allies and the world’s people,” Farrow added.
Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo escalated the rhetoric further, comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler while amplifying claims that the arrests were tied to oil rather than security or governance. “Also giving Hitler’s blitz through Europe vibes,” he wrote.
Actor John Cryer weighed in with a terse response of his own, firing off two words on Bluesky after Colorado Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse criticized the operation.
“Impeachment now” he posted, echoing demands from progressive lawmakers who labeled Trump’s actions unconstitutional.
Actor George Takei also injected himself into the debate, offering a constitutional critique rooted in congressional authority.
“The United States can only begin war with another country through a declaration of Congress,” Takei chimed in while acknowledging Maduro’s record.
Stephen King contrasted Trump’s treatment of Maduro with his past comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Maduro’s not a good guy, agreed. But neither is Putin, and Trump rolled out the red fucking carpet for him. It’s not about dope, it’s about oil (which kinda IS dope). Just when you think Trump has hit the gutter, he bounces lower,” King wrote.
Actress Ellen Barkin delivered one of the most graphic reactions, accusing Trump of illegally seizing control of a foreign country while mocking his public speaking.
“Trump illegally took over a foreign country he is currently attempting to read aloud, word for word, from the cheat sheet in front of him. Uh oh he’s strayed off his notes now, his incoherent babbling struggling to find its way thru the roll of cotton in his filthy mouth,” Barkin posted.
trump illegally took over a foreign country
he is currently attempting to read aloud, word for word, from the cheat sheet in front of him. Uh oh he’s strayed off his notes now, his incoherent babbling struggling to find its way thru the roll of cotton in his filthy mouth.
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) January 3, 2026
While the political debate raged, the ripple effects of U.S. action were felt in unexpected corners of the entertainment world.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio accepted the Desert Palm Achievement Award remotely Saturday after travel disruptions linked to U.S. strikes prevented him from leaving St. Barts.
DiCaprio had been scheduled to appear in person at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, where he was honored for his role in “One Battle After Another.”
Festival organizers explained his absence in a formal statement. “Leonardo DiCaprio is unable to join us in person tonight due to unexpected travel disruptions and restricted airspace,” a spokesperson said.
“While we will miss celebrating with him in person, we are honored to recognize his exceptional work and lasting contributions to cinema. His talent and dedication to the craft continue to inspire, and we are delighted to celebrate him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award this evening.”
A video of DiCaprio’s remote acceptance circulated online, featuring comments about the future of filmmaking rather than geopolitics.
“Movies are still meant to be experienced together in a theater. Right now, that belief matters more than ever,” DiCaprio said.
“Original films are harder to make and harder to protect, but movies still matter. Not the content, but cinema, stories made by people meant to be shared in a dark room in a communal experience.”
Palm Springs International Airport separately announced that departing flights were under a ground stop Saturday.