Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) staunchly defended President Donald Trump’s use of military force against alleged drug smuggling vessels off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia, dismissing concerns about a lack of congressional authorization and documentation for the operations.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Senator Graham insisted that President Trump possesses “all the authority he needs” as Commander-in-Chief to conduct the nine military strikes that have been carried out over the past two months against boats allegedly operated by the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua.
Escalation to Land Operations
Graham also revealed that an expansion of military action from the sea to the land is a “real possibility.” The Senator recounted a conversation with President Trump where the President indicated he plans to brief members of Congress on potential future military operations against Venezuela and Colombia upon his return from Asia.
READ: Honduran National Dies On Virginia Highway Fleeing ICE Agents
“I think President Trump’s made a decision that [Nicolás] Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is an indicted drug, drug trafficker, that it’s time for him to go,” Graham stated, aligning the military action with a broader goal of regime change and neutralizing a “narco-terrorist” threat.
The comments follow the recent deployment of the Navy’s advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, to Latin America. When asked about seeking a declaration of war, President Trump was quoted as saying, “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK.”
Brushing Aside Legal Concerns
Senator Graham, a former Air Force lawyer, rebutted bipartisan criticism regarding the legality of the strikes and the administration’s secrecy. He dismissed concerns from fellow Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who called the strikes illegal, and Senator James Lankford (R-OK), who demanded more insight for Congress.
Graham cited the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama under President George H.W. Bush and the 1983 invasion of Grenada under President Ronald Reagan as precedents, arguing that no congressional declaration of war is required for the Commander-in-Chief to use force to protect the nation.
READ: ‘Face The Nation’ Host Grills Jeffries On ‘Rigged Elections’ Language, Citing Trump Precedent
“There is no requirement for Congress to declare war before the commander-in-chief can use force,” Graham asserted. He acknowledged that other senators “deserve more information,” but firmly rejected the premise that the operations were in violation of the law.
He also pushed back strongly on the suggestion that the actions were “murder” or that military personnel should fear future prosecution, which has been fueled by the recent removal of top military legal personnel by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Graham called the suggestion of illegality “absolute garbage,” asserting that targeting an indicted drug-dealer’s regime is legally justified and necessary.
“More Americans have died from cocaine and fentanyl poisoning than any terrorist group in the world,” Graham concluded. “I am very pleased that we now have a president who’s going to use the full force… to protect us from narco terrorist states and drug organizations.” He challenged dissenting members of Congress to “introduce legislation to cut off all funding” for the military operations if they truly opposed them.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
