Critics of Donald Trump's capture of the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, need a hug. Badly.
“President Trump has made no secret of his intentions to effectively abolish Congress,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wrote on X, “and that pattern continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article One war powers of Congress, which is essential to our constitutional system of checks and balances.”
Democrats only care about Article One war powers when a Republican sends in troops and planes. Otherwise, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton all got a "criticism-free" card when they took military action without congressional approval.
And where did Pelosi get the idea that Trump wanted to "abolish Congress?" In truth, every president in history has wanted to "abolish" Congress, but none, including Trump, have ever seriously suggested it.
“The President of the United States does NOT have the right to unilaterally take this country to war, even against a corrupt and brutal dictator like Maduro," thundered Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. "The United States does NOT have the right, as Trump stated this morning, to ‘run’ Venezuela,” he said in a statement. “Congress must immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to end this illegal military operation and reassert its constitutional responsibilities.”
Be careful what you wish for, Bernie. Congress would likely give Trump the same powers he's exercising now.
The "War Powers Act" of 1973, passed in the aftermath of the Vietnam debacle, has never been ruled on by the Supreme Court. Legal scholars are divided on its constitutionality, but you can count on Democrats to trot it out to threaten a sitting president with it.
Supporters claim that Congress has the authority to make laws necessary to execute its own powers, including the power to fund and regulate the military. Supporters also claim that it serves as a check on executive overreach, ensuring that the president cannot commit the country to long-term armed conflict without legislative consent. Opponents argue that the president has the inherent authority to conduct foreign policy and respond to threats without a "60-day timer" imposed by another branch.
Democrats are terrified someone will take the issue to the Supreme Court because it's generally seen as an unconstitutional check on presidential power, and SCOTUS is likely to agree. Keep that in mind when you hear Democrats spouting off about the "War Powers Act."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said the operation aimed to “grab Venezuela’s oil for [Trump’s] billionaire buddies.”
“This act of war is a grave abuse of power by the President,” he said in a statement. “The Trump Administration is repeating the worst mistakes of our past and endangering American lives – and their motive for doing so is a farce.”
Yeah, locking up a narcoterrorist who is directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans is a "farce."
Go back to sleep, senator.
The number one critique of Trump's Venezuela action is that it's not consistent with his constant criticism of past presidents and their military actions. CNN refers to Trump's rhetoric in the 2016 campaign, suggesting that Trump's actions now make him a hypocrite.
Back then, Trump vocally decried “regime change,” setting himself up as the non-interventionist candidate in the race. “Donald the Dove, Hillary the Hawk,” read a headline on a piece by The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd.
Some have suggested this mission isn’t exactly in line with Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, including a few Republicans like Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Not so, say both MAGA and non-MAGA commenters.
'"America First" never meant isolationist. That's a neocon smear," MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec told Axios.
"One of the biggest splits that you will see is geography. There are a lot more 'America First' guys who are willing to be more aggressive within our hemisphere than across the world," he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will have a major role overseeing Venezuela for the foreseeable future, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "the first steps are securing what's in the national interest of the United States."
"No more drug trafficking. No more Iran, Hezbollah presence there. No more using the oil industry to enrich all our adversaries around the world," he continued.
What to watch: Even among supporters of Maduro's capture, there are limits to how far Trump should go — especially as he moves on to threatening other Latin American leaders.
"I think right now, the vibe is very good — and the vibe is very good because it was easy. There were no losses, they got their guy, they got out," said Blake Neff, a co-host on "The Charlie Kirk Show."
We'll have to see how everything plays out, including what Trump means by "running" Venezuela. But so far, nothing the U.S. has done makes a liar out of Trump or his "America First" agenda.
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