https://www.axios.com/2025/10/26/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-lindsey-graham
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — General Discussion
sheetsadam1 — 5 months ago(October 26, 2025 05:39 PM)
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/26/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-lindsey-graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) thinks the administration's strikes in the waters off Venezuela will expand to land, he said in a Sunday interview, adding that President Trump will brief lawmakers on "potential future military operations against Venezuela and Colombia."
Fury is growing on Capitol Hill over the strikes on purported "narco-terrorists" in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which have killed at least 43 people and stirred speculation of an attempted regime change.
Lawmakers, including some Republicans, are demanding more transparency. Who the U.S. has killed, and on what evidence, remains unclear. And in yet another escalation, the U.S. deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the area after Trump suggested land strikes could be imminent.
Graham said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he thinks Trump has decided "it's time for" Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro "to go," calling land strikes a "real possibility."
The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request to confirm whether such a briefing has been scheduled.
Trump last week said his administration would "
probably
go back to Congress and explain exactly what we are doing" before launching land strikes, but added, "
we don't have to do that
."
Graham did not rule out or advance the idea of there being troops on the ground in Latin America, saying, "I'll let the president speak to that."
However, he told CBS News' Margaret Brennan that the military will "kill the people that want to poison America."
While Trump has an ardent supporter in Graham, other Republican lawmakers have questioned his authority to carry out the strikes and the limited evidence his administration has released regarding their militarized war on drugs.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on "Fox News Sunday" he's "been invited to no briefing" — but added, "a briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution."
He continued, "we've had no evidence presented. So, at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings."
Paul's colleague across the aisle, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), called the strikes "sanctioned murder" on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday. Graham dismissed Gallego's comments, saying the military was following "lawful orders."
Graham said he "fundamentally" disagreed with Paul's contention that the president should not act without Congress and without a declaration of war.
"To the 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," Graham argued.
Trump told reporters Thursday that he would not ask for a declaration of war
and would just "kill people that are bringing drugs into our country."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent deferred to Defense Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday when asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether the U.S. is at war with Venezuela.
The Pentagon did not respond to Graham's prediction that the operation would expand to Venezuelan soil.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) suggested Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that moving an aircraft carrier battle group to the Caribbean could be meant to intimidate or foreshadow combat operations.
"This makes us less safe," he said. "I mean, starting a war against Venezuela over what is a law enforcement action does not make any sense."
Of relevance here is Article I, Section 8 of the United States constitution:
The Congress shall have Power
To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and post Roads; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; To constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court; To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War
, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and na -
sheetsadam1 — 5 months ago(October 26, 2025 05:54 PM)
He figures it will distract from Epstein, just as W. used war to distract from the stolen election and Saudi Arabia's culpability in 9/11.
Granted, it is difficult to brief a Congress which isn't in session and the government is currently shut down to prevent the swearing in of Adelita Grijalva and the House vote on releasing the files.
Draft Barron Trump
