Trump Says Congressional Approval Not Required for Potential Ground Strikes in Venezuela
Debate over presidential war powers has resurfaced as President Donald Trump defended his authority to expand U.S. military action against drug traffickers linked to Venezuela, arguing that congressional approval is not required for such operations.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump dismissed the need to formally notify lawmakers if he chose to authorize strikes on land, saying he would not object to informing them but questioning the value of doing so. “I wouldn’t mind telling them, but you know, it’s not a big deal. I don’t have to tell them,” he said, adding that members of Congress “leak like a sieve.”
The comments came in response to a reporter’s question about whether Trump would seek authorization from Congress before targeting drug cartels inside Venezuela, following months of U.S. military activity aimed at trafficking operations at sea.
Since September, American forces have carried out a series of airstrikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, actions that have resulted in at least 99 deaths, according to U.S. figures.
Those operations have drawn criticism from both parties in Congress, with lawmakers pointing to constitutional limits on presidential authority. While the president serves as commander-in-chief, the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war — a concern raised not only by Democrats but also by some Republicans, even as most members of Trump’s party have continued to back him.
During a House debate, New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks challenged the legal basis for the strikes, saying, “The president has failed to demonstrate the necessary authority under U.S. or international law to conduct lethal military strikes on these boats.”
Meeks went further, arguing that the threat justification does not hold up. “No one can credibly claim that these vessels, in some cases not even traveling to the United States and located thousands of miles from U.S. soil, posed an imminent threat to the American people warranting the use of military force,” he said.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of using anti-drug operations as a pretext for destabilizing his government, claiming the true objective of the campaign is regime change rather than narcotics enforcement.
Legal and military analysts note that a U.S. president may order limited strikes without congressional approval under certain conditions, but say such actions are generally expected to be short-term and narrowly defined, often framed as defensive measures.
After the September 11 attacks, Congress passed authorizations for the use of military force in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were later cited to justify counterterrorism missions in other parts of the world, a precedent now being referenced as lawmakers weigh the scope of Trump’s current actions.
{Matzav.com}
