Graham says Trump has ‘all the authority he needs’ in Venezuela strikes
In a recent statement, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) revealed that President Donald Trump plans to brief Congress on potential military operations in the Caribbean, particularly targeting Venezuela and Colombia. This comes in the wake of ongoing military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the region, with Trump asserting that such actions are crucial to combatting drug cartels. Graham indicated that Trump believes he has the authority to expand military operations from maritime to land strikes, emphasizing the administration’s stance that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is a significant figure in the drug trafficking world and must be removed from power. The Trump administration has intensified its rhetoric against Maduro, labeling him an “indicted drug trafficker” and even increasing the reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million.
While Trump prepares to provide this briefing upon his return from Asia, there is growing bipartisan concern among lawmakers regarding the legality and oversight of these military operations. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have introduced a war powers resolution aimed at preventing U.S. forces from engaging in hostilities against Venezuela without congressional authorization. They argue that the administration’s actions suggest a shift from drug enforcement to potential military intervention, raising alarms about the possibility of the U.S. being drawn into a conflict in South America. As tensions escalate, with the Pentagon deploying the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford to the region, Maduro has accused Trump of fabricating a war and warned against U.S. military involvement. The situation remains fluid, with Trump’s administration facing increasing pressure to clarify its objectives and legal justification for military actions in Venezuela.
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Sen.
Lindsey Graham
, R-S.C., said President
Donald Trump
will brief lawmakers about military operations in the Caribbean, as the president eyes land strikes against Venezuela next as part of his crusade against drugs.
Although Trump has said that the at least 10 strikes his administration has launched against alleged drug boats are necessary to put drug traffickers and cartels “on notice,” lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have been ramping up pressure for additional oversight and evidence supporting the legality of the strikes.
Trump is poised to brief them once he returns from his trip to Asia that wraps up Thursday, Graham told “CBS News Sunday Morning.”
“President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia,” Graham said. “So, there will be a congressional briefing about a potential expanding from the sea to the land. I support that idea. But I think he has all the authority he needs.”
SENATORS LOOK TO BLOCK TRUMP FROM ENGAGING IN ‘HOSTILITIES’ IN VENEZUELA
Additionally, Trump is ready for Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, to exit leading the country, according to Graham. When asked about whether a regime change was in motion, Graham answered affirmatively.
“I think President Trump’s made a decision that Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is an indicted drug trafficker, that it’s time for him to go,” Graham said Sunday, “that Venezuela and Colombia have been safe havens for narco terrorists for too long.”
The Trump administration claims it does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state, and instead considers him a leader of a drug cartel. In August, the
Trump administration increased the reward
for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, blasting him as “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”
TRUMP SAYS ‘WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF STRIKING VENEZUELA AMID RISING TENSIONS
Trump has signaled for weeks he is considering land operations against Venezuela, and the Pentagon announced Friday that the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford would head to the region.
In response, Maduro accused Trump of “fabricating a new eternal war.”
“They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war,” Maduro said in a national broadcast on Friday.
TRUMP TOUTS US STRIKE AS MADURO SLAMS MILITARY ‘THREAT’ OFF VENEZUELA
The White House did not confirm or deny that Trump would brief lawmakers in response to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital that it has provided Congress seven separate classified briefings since early September on the matter.
The Trump administration has remained relatively reticent when asked about ousting Maduro, and Trump declined to answer questions from reporters earlier in October when asked if the CIA had the authority to “take out” Maduro.
Meanwhile, lawmakers — including some Republicans — are seeking answers on the strikes. For example, Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a war powers resolution that would bar U.S. armed forces from engaging in “hostilities” against Venezuela.
“The Trump administration has made it clear they may launch military action inside Venezuela’s borders and won’t stop at boat strikes in the Caribbean,” Schiff said in an Oct. 17 statement.
“In recent weeks, we have seen increasingly concerning movements and reporting that undermine claims that this is merely about stopping drug smugglers,” Schiff said. “Congress has not authorized military force against Venezuela. And we must assert our authority to stop the United States from being dragged — intentionally or accidentally — into full-fledged war in South America.”
Trump has dismissed lawmakers’ concerns about the legality of the strikes, and said Oct. 14 that the alleged drug vessels are “fair game” because they are “loaded up with drugs.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
