January 1, Trump Moves Fast on Maduro, Congress Kept Out

Wyatt’s Take

• Trump and Rubio explain keeping Congress in the dark over the Maduro operation.
• Bipartisan history of not recognizing Maduro as president.
• GOP leaders back Trump’s swift action and stress national security.

President Trump faced questions on why lawmakers weren’t alerted before U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Congress was informed right after the mission, not before.

“This is not the kind of mission that you can do a Congressional notification on,” Rubio explained.

“It was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met night after night. We watched and monitored that for a number of days.”

“It’s just not the kind of mission that you can pre-notify because it endangers the mission,” he asserted.

“Congress has a tendency to leak,” Trump added.

“If they leaked … I think it would have been a very different result.”

Rubio pointed out that the Trump and Biden administrations both refused to recognize Maduro.

“That’s not just us saying it. The first Trump administration, the Biden administration, the second Trump administration — none of those three recognized him. He’s not recognized by the European Union and multiple countries around the world,” the secretary contended.

“He is a fugitive of American justice with a $50 million reward.”

The Department of Justice put forth a $50 million bounty for Maduro back in August.

Rubio suggested the U.S. saved that money by capturing him.

Trump replied.

“We should make sure. Don’t let anybody claim it.”

Rubio linked the raid to Maduro’s actions: dealing with Iran, taking American oil, holding hostages, and spreading drugs and gang activity in the U.S.

“Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this. He was provided multiple very very generous offers and chose instead to act like a wild man, chose instead to play around,” said Rubio.

“The 47th president of the United States is not a game-player,” he added.

“The 47th President of the United States is not a game player.”

“When he tells you that he’s going to do something, when he tells you he’s going to address a problem, he means it…”

“This is something that was a direct threat to the national…”

Key GOP lawmakers spoke up afterward.

“An important first step to bring him to justice for the drug crimes for which he has been indicted in the United States,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress would get briefed when lawmakers return to Washington.

“Today’s military action in Venezuela was a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives,” Johnson said.

Senator Tom Cotton said that avoiding a leak was probably due to not telling Congress before the raid.

“Congress isn’t notified when the FBI is going to arrest a drug trafficker or cyber criminal here in the United States, nor should Congress be notified when the executive branch is executing arrests on indicted persons.”

Stay tuned as the fallout continues and more details come out in Washington next week.

Wyatt Matters

When leaders take bold steps to protect our country, they put American safety first. Actions like these remind us why strength and vigilance matter in tough times.

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