Democrats, and surprisingly enough, some RINOs, have joined forces to condemn Trump’s decisive strikes on drug-trafficking vessels near Venezuela. A Senate debate led to a 51-48 vote, which rejected a motion to curb these strikes, despite weeks of complaints from progressive Democrats.
For context, Republican Senators. Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski joined with the Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman (D) opposed it, affirming support for anti-cartel efforts. The proponents sought to limit the use of U.S. forces against post-February 2025 designated terrorists or drug groups, absent war declarations.
Additionally, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pointed to reams of intelligence to support the strikes and vowed to continue the fight. However, Senatro Young proposed the resolution for risking troop safety but raised alarms over legality and lack of oversight,
Speaking about the strikes, President Trump noted, “In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water … we did another one last night. Now we just can’t find any.”
He clarified that the strikes “resulted in the killing of ‘narcoterrorists,’ and added, “They’re not coming in by sea anymore, so now we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land.”
Reacting, the socialist dictator of the embattled nation, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, issued a defiant statement. “Our people have never and will never be afraid to defend their right to live and be free,” Maduro said.
Supporting this sensible action, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) gave his endorsement to President Trump. Fetterman, who often crosses the aisle, offered his “Fully support confronting the scourge of cartel drug trafficking to our nation.”
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However, other Democrats sought to limit Trump’s power in a proposal which read, “Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against any organization designated on or after February 20, 2025, as a foreign terrorist organization or specially designated global terrorist, any states in which those entities operate, or any non-state organization engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs and other related activities, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.”
Offering more context, War Secretary Pete Hegseth explained how, “Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route.”
Despite his concerns, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) opposed the Democrats’ cowardly attempt to limit Trump. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”, he noted, adding that he “cannot support a resolution that potentially handcuffs our ability to protect American service members in the Middle East.”
Tempering his support, the Indiana Republican said, “Despite my opposition to this resolution, I am highly concerned about the legality of recent strikes in the Caribbean and the trajectory of military operations without congressional approval or debate and the support of the American people. While the Constitution grants Article II authorities to the executive branch to defend against imminent threats, Congress alone is entrusted with decisions of war and peace.”