Maddow Discusses Trump’s Military Actions Against Drug Vessels
During a recent episode of MS NOW, Rachel Maddow expressed concerns about President Donald Trump’s military actions against vessels involved in drug trafficking. She suggested that these operations may be an attempt to invoke the Alien Hostiles Act as a pretext for war with Venezuela, potentially leading to the deportation of Venezuelans.
The U.S. military has targeted several boats engaged in drug trafficking since early September, with the sinking of a vessel carrying members of the Venezuelan prison gang Torren de Aragua (TdA), which Trump designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. Maddow characterized the administration’s rationale for war as constructed retroactively, suggesting it stemmed from allegations made by “Deadline: The White House” host Nicole Wallace regarding drug trafficking.
Maddow voiced her confusion, stating, “I don’t understand why we would go to war with Venezuela,” questioning whether the administration had a coherent explanation for this course of action. She speculated that they perhaps intended to use the Alien Enemy Act to deprive certain individuals of their legal rights regarding deportation.
“They concluded that the Alien Enemy Act was the proper route,” she continued. “Then they recognized that this would necessitate a declaration of war, so they declared one. Subsequently, they seemed to fabricate a reason for conflict that was officially framed as a means to combat drug trafficking into the U.S.”
While some liberals assert that these military actions are illegal and tantamount to war crimes, Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a former military and intelligence official, has publicly urged military personnel to disregard any unlawful commands from Trump. However, she struggled to cite specific illegal orders during an appearance on “This Week.”
Maddow raised a critical question: “What are we doing there anyway? Why are we resorting to lethal force against boats, many of which may not even be targeting the U.S.? Even if there are drugs on board, why not seize those drugs and investigate further?”
She expressed her belief that the administration may have stumbled into an illegal situation, motivated by the desire for dramatic visuals to showcase on platforms like Fox News or TikTok. This, she claimed, has placed military leaders in a precarious position where they could be held accountable for severe actions in the future.
On November 13, the Senate voted against a resolution aimed at prohibiting the military’s involvement under the War Powers Act, with the final tally being 51-49.
Further back, MS NOW and its guests have consistently discussed allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, often featuring Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who made various assertions about this supposed collaboration. Notably, the network transitioned from being known as MSNBC in late 2025.
