President Donald Trump expressed his frustration on Thursday toward a small group of Senate Republicans who have, he claims, turned against him, saying they should never be elected again.
Five Republican senators supported a bipartisan resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to take further military action in Venezuela. This coalition included Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). It’s noteworthy because the Republican-controlled Senate has generally backed Trump’s initiatives.
Trump was clear in his displeasure. On Truth Social, he stated, “Republicans should be ashamed of the senators who just voted with Democrats to take away our authority to fight and defend the United States of America.” He further asserted that those senators should “never be elected to public office again,” emphasizing that their vote undermined America’s self-defense and the President’s role as Commander-in-Chief.
Sen. Collins is facing a particularly tough re-election battle in Maine, especially with strong Democratic contenders like Gov. Janet Mills in the race.
Those Republicans who backed the resolution explained that while they supported the mission—dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve—to detain former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, they felt Congress should have a role in any future military actions.
Collins mentioned that the context has shifted now that Maduro has been captured, saying, “While I support the operation to seize President Nicolás Maduro, which is extraordinary in its precision and complexity, I do not support the addition of additional U.S. troops or long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific Congressional approval.”
Trump previously dismissed Congress’ war powers, labeling the War Powers Act as unconstitutional. He noted, “There will be a more important Senate vote next week on this very subject.”
