‘Grave Abuse of Power’: Critics Blast Trump for Bypassing Congress in Venezuela Military Operation

President Donald Trump is facing sharp criticism for bypassing Congress and conducting an overnight military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the authoritarian leader of Venezuela, and bring him to the United States to stand trial.

The operation represents the culmination of months of pressure on the South American country that included U.S. military attacks on boats the White House alleged were smuggling drugs and a reported CIA drone strike on Venezuelan territory.

During a press conference Saturday morning, Trump announced that the U.S. would run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” When pressed for answers on how the White House would administer the country, he did not rule out deploying military forces.

“We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to,” Trump said. “We had boots on the ground last night.” 

Blowback was fast and severe, with critics suggesting the Venezuela operation represents Trump’s latest attempt to disregard the legislative branch and rule the United States singlehandedly.

The heads of the House and Senate intelligence committees were reportedly not notified of the raid until after it began. 

Saturday morning, both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said congressional notification would have endangered the operation, with the president telling reporters, “Congress has a tendency to leak.”

“President Trump has made no secret of his intentions to effectively abolish the Congress,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) wrote on X, “and that pattern continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article One war powers of Congress which is essential to our constitutional system of checks and balances.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) said the operation showed Trump’s “contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law.”

“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,” he said in a statement. “Congress must immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to end this illegal military operation and reassert its constitutional responsibilities.”

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into combat and must receive Congressional approval or withdraw the troops within 60 days. The law also allows Congress to force a withdrawal by passing a joint resolution.

Other legislators argued that Trump’s actions were illegal, risked thrusting the U.S. into another foreign entanglement, and was motivated by commercial interests.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said the operation aimed to “grab Venezuela’s oil for [Trump’s] billionaire buddies.”

“This act of war is a grave abuse of power by the President,” he said in a statement. “The Trump Administration is repeating the worst mistakes of our past and endangering American lives – and their motive for doing so is a farce.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) rebuked the move as “completely illegal and unconstitutional” and called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the matter to a vote.

Trump also faced criticism from Republicans.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who previously broke with Trump over the release of the Epstein files, expressed skepticism of the U.S. criminal charges used to justify Maduro’s arrest.

In a social media post, he noted that the 25-page indictment against Maduro contained “no mention of fentanyl or stolen oil.”

Trump has repeatedly accused Venezuela of trafficking drugs, including the deadly opioid fentanyl, into the United States and stealing land owned by the U.S. But illegal fentanyl in the U.S. typically does not originate in Venezuela. 

Other critics acknowledged that Maduro was a dictator who had done great harm to his country, but raised questions about the operation’s broader implications around the globe.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said Maduro’s ouster was “great for the future of Venezuelans and the region,” but expressed concern about how “Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan.”

Maduro has led Venezuela since succeeding former President Hugo Chávez in 2013, and has ruled by decree since 2015. He was most recently “reelected” in July 2024, but that election was widely believed to be stolen. 

Under Maduro’s rule, Venezuela has suffered years of economic collapse, and millions of people have fled.

In 2020, Maduro was indicted in a Manhattan federal court on charges of narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. In August, the Trump administration increased a reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.