Senators from both parties are expressing concern about President Trump’s unilateral approach to carrying out military strikes against alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean.
On the Sunday show circuit, several lawmakers questioned the legality of the US military operation – which Made its 10th attack last week Authorities say the drugs have been being smuggled on ships in recent months without congressional approval, hoping to reach the United States.
While Democrats took a harsher tone than Republicans, members of Trump’s party expressed reservations about the campaign.
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” Congress has no evidence Has not voted to authorize further efforts to support the Trump administration’s claims about drug trafficking.
Paul said, “So far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers. Nobody has said their names. Nobody has said what evidence there is. Nobody has said whether they are armed. And we have not presented any evidence.”
“So, at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings,” he added. “And this is similar to what China does, what Iran does with drug dealers. They kill people summarily without presenting evidence to the public. So, it is wrong.”
At Trump’s direction, the US military has carried out attacks on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela and most recently in the eastern Pacific.
Trump has also done it authorized cia operations in Venezuela, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week deployed an aircraft carrier and its strike group to South America. there are tricks tension increased Between the US and Venezuelan authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.
Trump on Thursday considered briefing the Senate about the military operation, but rejected the suggestion that he would need Senate authorization, as the Constitution requires.
Trump said, “The next time the floor is up, and we can go to the Senate. We can – you know, go to Congress and tell them about it. But I can’t imagine they’ll have a problem with it.” “And I think except for radical-left lunatics, they’ll probably like it.”
Asked about Trump’s comments in a Sunday interview, Paul welcomed the idea of a briefing, but said, “A briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution.”
He added, “The Constitution says when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it.”
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who joined Paul in a “Fox News Sunday” interview, agreed with his Republican colleague.
“If we’re going to go to war, whether it’s against boats selected from a secret list in Nicaragua that the president won’t share with Congress or the public, or a land invasion in Venezuela, it should be done after a debate and vote in Congress,” Caine said.
“The Ford Strike Group that is being deployed is comprised of a large number of Virginians,” Kaine said. “They should not be sent into harm’s way until Congress has the courage to vote on whether the war is in the national interest.”
Kaine and Paul, with Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), introduced a war powers resolution The move comes after Trump raised the possibility of deploying ground troops this month in an effort to prevent the use of force by U.S. troops inside or against Venezuela.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a key ally of the president, said in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that, on Saturday, he spoke to Trump, who said he planned to brief lawmakers on the military effort upon returning from his trip to Asia. Graham said that land attacks in Venezuela are a “real possibility”.
but graham pushed back the suggestion That the President is acting beyond the limits of his authority.
“Rand Paul, I fundamentally disagree,” Graham said. “To other senators, you deserve more information and you’re going to get more information. But there is no requirement for Congress to declare war before the commander-in-chief can use force.”
Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), in an interview ABC News’ “This Week” said it was “questionable” whether the Trump administration’s military activity was legal.
“It’s questionable. And the White House and the Defense Department couldn’t give us a logical explanation about how this is legal. They were tripping over themselves trying to explain it. We had a lot of questions for both the Democrats and the Republicans. It was not a good meeting. It did not go well,” Kelly said, referring to an earlier meeting.
Kelly also said that the evidence he has seen does not support the administration’s claim that the boats targeted were carrying fentanyl. He said, however, that there was evidence that other drugs were also on some of the boats.
“We were presented with some evidence that does not support the story that the White House is telling the American people,” Kelly said in a Sunday interview.
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) went a step further, comparing the Trump administration’s military campaign to “murder.”
Asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether he agreed with the Trump administration’s claim that the strikes are consistent with international law, the Democrat said, “No, it’s murder.”
“It’s very simple,” he adds. “If this president feels they’re doing something illegally, he should use the Coast Guard. If it’s an act of war, you use our military, and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder. This is sanctioned murder that he’s doing.”
Earlier this week, Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) raised questions About the military effort and the administration’s ignoring of Congress.
“The administration needs to give Congress insight. That’s part of it. If that were happening with this level of insight under the Biden administration, I would be disappointed,” Lankfordsaid during thursdaypresence atC-SPAN’s new “Ceasefire” program,
He appeared with Democratic Senator Chris Coons (Del.), who also shared that he was shocked after learning in the press about the attacks ordered by the White House.
“I serve on the Intelligence Committee. He serves as a senior Democrat on defense. This is elite counsel,” Lankford told host Dasha Burns. “It’s not allowed, but it’s, ‘Hey, I want to let you know this is happening and hear the details of what’s happening and here’s why and what, and here’s what we know.'”
