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Trump, however, made it clear Friday that he believes the punishment was excessive. In his post he wrote: “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly. This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success.”
This marks the second time in just a few days that Trump has voiced strong support for Nasry “Tito” Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate now attempting to reclaim Honduras from socialist influence.
On Wednesday, Trump praised Asfura again, declaring that the two “can work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.”
His Friday announcement closed with a signature Trump-style rallying cry: “VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump also warned of consequences if Honduran voters choose the wrong direction this weekend, saying the United States “will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is.”
But Trump didn’t stop with Honduras. On Saturday, he rolled out another sweeping policy declaration—this time aimed squarely at the Venezuelan regime. Announcing that all airspace above and surrounding Venezuela will be completely shut down, Trump wrote: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
This dramatic order comes after the FAA warned airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” due to escalating military activity inside Venezuela. The Maduro regime retaliated by stripping six major airlines of their operating rights once they followed U.S. guidance and halted flights.
The Trump administration has long accused Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro of working hand-in-hand with drug traffickers—charges he denies. Maduro insists Trump is trying to topple him, and claims his citizens and military would resist any action aimed at removing him from power.
U.S. forces in the region have significantly increased their operational tempo, focusing heavily on counter-narcotics missions. Since September, American forces have carried out at least 21 attacks on suspected drug-running vessels across the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in at least 83 deaths—an unusually high tally that underscores escalating tensions.
Trump hinted earlier this month that major decisions about U.S.-Venezuela policy are already made. As he told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I sort of made up my mind. I can’t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
What comes next for Honduras and Venezuela remains uncertain—but one thing is clear: Trump is once again reshaping foreign policy, bypassing Washington’s cautious diplomatic class and taking his message straight to the people.
