Senior officials from the Trump administration will descend on Capitol Hill later Monday to brief lawmakers on the extraordinary land operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former dictator Nicolas Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are set to brief top lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and House and Senate Armed Services committees Monday evening. Congressional leaders and members of the intelligence committees, also known as the Gang of Eight, are also expected to be in the briefing.
Democrats have demanded that all House and Senate members be briefed early this week.
“President Trump’s announced plan to run Venezuela is unacceptable,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote in a statement. “It is critical that the Trump administration provide an immediate Gang of Eight briefing, followed by briefings for all Members of the House and Senate early next week.”
Going into meetings and briefings, lawmakers will have many questions on the constitutionality of the operation, if this will prompt other invasions, and the motive behind the raid.
What ripple effect will this cause around the world?
While many Republicans have praised the operation, specifically when it comes to taking Maduro out of power, there have still been some concerns among the caucus about the ripple effect it could have on foreign policy around the world.
“Maduro and his predecessor took Venezuela from the richest to the poorest country in South America, and destroyed its democracy,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) wrote in a statement. “The operations last night are great for the future of Venezuelans and the region. My main concern now is that Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan. Freedom and rule of law were defended last night, but dictators will try to exploit this to rationalize their selfish objectives.”
What does this mean for America First?
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally-turned-enemy, has not shied away from expressing her distaste for the invasion. Greene’s resignation from Congress became official Monday after the Georgia Republican became known for her breaks with the president, famously over foreign policy and the files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“And of course why is it ok for America to militarily invade, bomb, and arrest a foreign leader but Russia is evil for invading Ukraine and China is bad for aggression against Taiwan? the former lawmaker asked on X. “Is it only ok if we do it? (I’m not endorsing Russia or China).”
What does Trump mean when he says US will ‘run’ Venezuela
While members of both parties will raise questions over the constitutionality of the raid and the implications around the world, Democrats have slammed the president’s decision to “run the country” as well.
“Donald Trump has, once again, shown his contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said. “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. The United States does NOT have the right, as Trump stated this morning, to ‘run’ Venezuela. Congress must immediately pass a War Powers resolution to end this illegal military operation and reassert its constitutional responsibilities.”
“Our Constitution states very clearly that only Congress has the power to declare war,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) wrote. “Democrats will continue to demand answers and accountability.”
In response to congressional reaction, Rubio disputed the claim that the land operation in Venezuela required congressional approval.
“This was not an action that required congressional approval,” Rubio said during an appearance on NBC on Sunday. “In fact, it couldn’t require congressional approval because this was not an invasion. This is not an extended military operation. This is a very precise operation that involved a couple of hours of action. It was a very delicate operation, too. It was one that required all these conditions to be in place at the right time, in the right place.”
While these questions are raised on how the president will run the country and if he had the power to run the operation, the motives behind the operation have also been called into question.
Is this all just about oil?
Democrats, along with some Republicans, have pointed to accusations of Trump working with U.S. oil companies, prior to the land operation, to develop Venezuela’s oil reserves.
“It seems obvious from this video that the administration worked with big U.S. oil companies before the attack to line up billions of dollars in capital for developing Venezuela’s oil reserves, yet they couldn’t be bothered to consult Congress,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) wrote on X in response to Trump saying U.S. oil companies will “go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”
Did Trump administration mislead Congress?
Democratic members are expected to press Trump administration officials on prior claims that they did not intend to bring about regime change in Venezuela.
“Because the President and his Cabinet repeatedly denied any intention of conducting regime change in Venezuela when briefing Congress, we are left with no understanding of how the Administration is preparing to mitigate risks to the U.S. and we have no information regarding a long-term strategy following today’s extraordinary escalation,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) wrote in a statement. “Instead, the Administration consistently misled the American people and their elected representatives by offering three differing and contradictory explanations for its actions.”
Meanwhile, many Capitol Hill Republicans have outwardly supported the president and praised the ousting of Maduro.
“President Trump is putting American lives first, succeeding where others have failed, and under his leadership the United States will no longer allow criminal regimes to profit from wreaking havoc and destruction on our country,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said. “The Trump Administration is working to schedule briefings for Members as Congress returns to Washington next week.”
MADURO PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN NEW YORK ON DRUG CHARGES: ‘I AM A DECENT MAN’
Trump took decisive action Saturday in launching precision military strikes in Venezuela that enabled special forces to seize and detain Maduro, an illegitimate leader despised by his own people. Maduro will now be tried in a court of law for his crimes.
Maduro claimed he was “kidnapped” and taken as a “prisoner of war” as he was taken out of court on Monday. During his first court appearance, he frequently noted his innocence and claimed he was still the president of Venezuela.
