Democrats accuse Trump administration of lying to Congress about US goal in Venezuela

WASHINGTON -- US Democratic lawmakers on Saturday showed their anger and distress in the aftermath of the US raid on Venezuela and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning.

They said that Congress had not been notified in advance and that US President Donald Trump's administration had previously lied to Congress about its goal in the oil-rich South American nation. Meanwhile, they demanded an immediate briefing on the operation and on the White House's next move.

"Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn't about regime change. I didn't trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress," US Senator Andy Kim wrote in a post on X. Last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress that regime change in Venezuela was not their goal.

Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, agreed: "The Trump Administration repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about Venezuela. Over and over, officials testified that this was not about regime change."

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Trump administration has "consistently misled" lawmakers, leaving Congress in the dark on any US "long-term strategy" concerning Venezuela.

Senator Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, also said that lawmakers were given "false" information by the administration. "A military operation to capture and overthrow a president -- even an illegitimate one -- is an act of war that must be authorized by Congress," he said.

Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Saturday criticized the Trump administration for not seeking congressional authorization before the reckless attack, demanding an immediate briefing.

"The Trump administration has not sought congressional authorization for use of military force and has failed to properly notify Congress in advance of the operation in Venezuela," Jeffries said in a statement.

"Too many questions remain unanswered," said Jeffries, calling for evidence to "explain and justify this unauthorized use of military force."

According to Schumer, the White House "has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela." "Clearly, they are not being straight with Americans," Schumer said in a statement.

Following reports of explosions in Caracas, Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on X that the United States has "no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war."

"We should have learned not to stumble into another stupid adventure by now," Schatz warned.

However, it seems Republican lawmakers largely back the Trump administration's attack on Venezuela. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson said they are expecting related briefings to Congress in the coming days.

"President Trump's decisive action ... is an important first step to bring him (Maduro) to justice for the drug crimes for which he has been indicted in the United States," Thune said in a statement.

The latest US strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Maduro have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.