“The people of Venezuela are standing for freedom and democracy, and the United States of America is standing right by their side,” declared President Trump in February during a speech to the Venezuelan-American community. The statement elicited little controversy, yet it seemed to deviate from Trump’s commitment to “America First.”

But the crisis in Venezuela shows that U.S. interests and U.S. values often align. This shouldn’t be surprising for Trump. In the cases of rogue regimes such as Iran, North Korea, and Cuba, Trump has intermittently drawn attention to their human rights violations as part of his broader campaigns to thwart their threats to U.S. interests. More often, however, Trump has routinely ignored, denied, or even praised the abuses of some of the world’s bloodiest tyrants, particularly those with whom he seeks improved relationships.