California Democrats outraged, GOP supportive of Trump strike in Venezuela
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- California Democrats condemned Trump's unilateral Venezuela strike and demanded Congress.
- Republican lawmakers praised the operation that captured President Nicolas Maduro.
- Members invoked War Powers and urged oversight amid debate over legal authority.
California Democrats were outraged Saturday by President Donald Trump’s military strike in Venezuela, as Sen. Adam Schiff said the action “further erodes America’s standing on the world stage.” Republicans applauded Trump’s initiative.
Schiff has been a key player in trying to get Congress to weigh in on Trump’s military initiatives in and around the South American nation. His efforts have failed on a largely party-line Senate vote.
“Acting without Congressional approval or the buy-in of the public, Trump risks plunging a hemisphere into chaos and has broken his promise to end wars instead of starting them,” the California Democrat said Saturday.
A U.S. military operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife early Saturday and flew them to the United States, where Maduro was expected to face criminal charges. At a news conference, Trump said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela for now.
Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of being involved with drug trafficking and promoting terrorism. Maduro has denied the allegations.
Republican lawmakers from California applauded the military action.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, spoke Saturday with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and congratulated him on the mission.
“Over the past year, the world has seen America will no longer tolerate anyone who harms our people, including drug trafficking. The Trump administration is correctly making the safety of America our highest priority,” said Calvert, who chairs the powerful House defense appropriations subcommittee.
Angry Democrats
California Democrats protested Trump’s action.
“Venezuela is ruled by an illegitimate regime, but the Trump administration has not made the case that an urgent threat to America’s national security existed to justify the use of U.S. military force,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.
Get Congress involved, she urged. “President Trump has made no secret of his intentions to effectively abolish the Congress, and that pattern continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article 1 war powers of Congress which is essential to our constitutional system of checks and balances,” she said.
The 1973 War Powers Resolution, passed after members of Congress thought they had not been involved in Vietnam War policy, generally requires the president to consult Congress before engaging in military action.
A president could act in an emergency and notify Congress within 48 hours and then can continue the military action for 60 days, as well as a 30-day withdrawal period, unless Congress says otherwise.
Americans should be concerned, Schiff said. “In conjunction with his continued saber-rattling around the world and dropping approval ratings at home, the American people should be concerned that this is not the last time he will break that promise,” he said.
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, had similar views.
“Sending U.S. forces into another country without congressional authorization or notification to remove its government constitutes an unauthorized act of war by the president. This action demands accountability,” she said.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, a House Foreign Affairs Committee member, was sharply critical of the Saturday strike.
“Kidnapping President Maduro in a regime change operation won’t help protect the American people. It won’t actually mitigate drug trafficking in the United States: Venezuela plays virtually no role in producing or trafficking fentanyl,” she said.
Republicans back Trump
California Republicans tended to back the president.
“The Maduro regime has inflicted violence, corruption, and suffering on the Venezuelan people for years, and today that ends,” tweeted Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford.
He said he backed “efforts to hold narco-terrorists accountable and stand with those fighting to restore freedom, democracy, and a hopeful future for Venezuela.”
Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim, a Foreign Affairs Committee member, also was supportive, tweeting “Maduro was a brutal dictator and indicted narco-terrorist responsible for flooding our country with deadly drugs and contributing to countless American deaths.
“The Venezuelan people have suffered under his illegitimate rule for long enough. I’m glad he will be held accountable,” she said.
This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 10:29 AM with the headline "California Democrats outraged, GOP supportive of Trump strike in Venezuela."
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