Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó Offered Rare Bipartisan Moment at State of the Union
The opposition leader provided the only bipartisan moment when President Trump called him the “true and legitimate president of Venezuela.”
Leah Millis/Reuters
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s appearance at the State of the Union address prompted an extended bipartisan standing ovation—one of the few moments during the entire address when both parties agreed on anything. Guaidó was in Washington, D.C. to drum up continuing support for his legitimacy as the opposition leader of the troubled nation, which he will need to unseat Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who clung to power despite international calls to step down. Trump had snubbed Guaidó at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month, but rained praise on him Tuesday night. “Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people, but Maduro’s grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken,” Trump said. “Here this evening is a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans. Joining us in the gallery is the true and legitimate president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó.”
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