Furious Dems float retaliation over Trump's "insane" Venezuela attack
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President Trump speaks at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 3, 2025. Photo: Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images.
Amid Democrats' fury over the Trump administration's unilateral strike on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro, some lawmakers went so far as to call for President Trump's removal from office.
Why it matters: The Venezuela strike has escalated already-boiling tensions between Trump and congressional Democrats, who are furious about Congress being left in the dark.
- "I had absolutely no briefing or heads up," House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) fumed to Axios. "I received all information from the news media at this point."
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), in a joint statement, demanded briefings for their members "early next week."
Driving the news: U.S. forces extradited Maduro and his wife to the U.S. in an operation early Saturday morning that involved airstrikes on several military sites in Venezuela's capital, Caracas.
- The Venezuelan president and first lady are facing federal drug and firearms charges and "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- Trump said in a Saturday morning press conference that the U.S. is "going to run" Venezuela until a "proper transition can take place."
- He said the U.S. will also spend billions rebuilding the country's dilapidated oil infrastructure and that "we're not afraid of boots on the ground."
What they're saying: While Democratic leaders largely channeled their outrage into demands for information, some lawmakers went further in their condemnations.
- "Trump must be impeached," said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) in a statement, also calling for the passage of legislation to rein in executive war powers and reassert congressional control over the process.
- Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) called Trump's plan to run Venezuela "truly insane" and a "disaster." Referring to a Constitutional mechanism that allows the Cabinet to remove a president, he told Axios: "We are in 25th Amendment territory now."
- "The President has lost his mind," Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.) told Axios in a text message.
Zoom out: While Democrats spent 2025 largely dismissing rogue efforts to impeach Trump, the idea has gradually gained momentum within the party amid grassroots demands that lawmakers adopt more brute-force tactics.
- The Venezuela operation appeared to add even more fuel to those sentiments.
- "Today, many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). "I am reconsidering that view."
- Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said in a statement: "This violation of the United States Constitution is an impeachable offense."
The intrigue: It's not just Democrats calling out the move.
- Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), both right-wing opponents of interventionist foreign policy, expressed skepticism of the administration's actions in social media posts.
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a centrist, said in a statement: "The only country that the United States of America should be 'running' is the United States of America.
The other side: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said they are working with the administration to schedule briefings for members of Congress.
- The House Armed Services Committee will receive a full committee briefing next week, a GOP committee source told Axios' Kate Santaliz.
- Republicans largely applauded the attack, with Johnson calling it a "decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives."
- A handful of Democrats also focused on celebrating Maduro's ouster rather than condemning the administration, with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) telling Axios it is an "important moment for democracy, peace, and the future of children across Latin America and the United States."
Between the lines: While political sanctions against Trump are highly unlikely, congressional opponents of further action in Venezuela do have some mechanisms to constrain the administration.
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement that his bipartisan Venezuela war powers resolution "will come up for a vote [in the Senate] early next week."
- Congress is also negotiating government spending ahead of a Jan. 30 federal funding deadline, giving lawmakers an opportunity to block funds for intervention in Venezuela.
