Trump Orders Secret Strike, Forgetting To Ask Congress For Permission First
KEY POINTS
- â˘President Trump ordered overnight strikes on Venezuelan military targets to capture NicolĂĄs Maduro without notifying Congress.
- â˘Democratic lawmakers criticized the operation for lacking congressional authorization and warned it signals dangerous precedent internationally.
- â˘Republicans defended the strikes citing Article II authority, while Trump called his critics 'weak and stupid people.'
In a move that sounds more 'midnight infomercial' than statecraft, President Trump ordered an overnight military strike on Venezuelan anti-air targets to capture President NicolĂĄs Maduroâwithout inviting Congress to the pre-strike party. Democrats like Sen. Andy Kim called it a 'horrible and disturbing signal,' while Rep. Darren Soto praised the capture but had a congressional authorization question hotter than a Venezuelan arepa. GOP defenders, like Sen. Mike Lee, leaned on Article II to say Trump probably wasn't flying solo legally. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed critics as 'weak and stupid people' before Fox News commercial break. Even Sen. Tom Cotton urged Maduroâs interim government to choose between normal nations and 'drug trafficking with friends like Iran and Cuba.' Ironically, the White House had earlier told Congress it wasnât seeking regime changeâclassic Trump text-withdraw-and-go-to-strike maneuver.
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Trump just took 'executive privilege' to 'surprise party demolition' level by bombing Venezuela without even sending Congress a calendar invite. Congress is mad, Fox News is cheering, and Maduroâs probably updating his dating profile to 'recently captured.'
Apparently, 'Article II authority' now means 'do whatever you want 3AM, no questions asked'âCongress was left holding their subpoenas.
Trump's foreign policy plan: 'Step 1, ignore Congress. Step 2, strike Venezuela. Step 3, call critics weak and stupid.'
Source: Axios | Published: 1/3/2026 | Author: Andrew Solender
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