Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned on Monday that he will immediately move to block the use of American ground troops in Venezuela if President Donald Trump orders military strikes against the South American country.
“Should a strike occur, we will force a debate in Congress and force a vote to prevent U.S. troops from being in hostilities against Venezuela,” said Schumer, a New York Democrat, in a speech on the Senate floor. “Our troops’ safety and our national security are at stake.”
His warning followed Trump’s post on Truth Social on Saturday, in which the president told airlines and pilots to treat Venezuela’s airspace as “CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.” The message sparked alarm that the administration could be preparing direct strikes on Venezuelan territory, coming on the heels of U.S. attacks on boats off the country’s coast that were allegedly carrying drugs.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration is facing intensifying scrutiny over its handling of strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. Lawmakers and legal experts have raised questions after it emerged that a second strike was carried out in September on a boat that had already been hit.
Trump has claimed broad authority to conduct such operations to protect the United States from drug cartels. But an escalation that leads to strikes on Venezuelan territory or the deployment of U.S. troops would raise serious constitutional issues, as Congress—not the president—holds the power to authorize war.
Schumer’s Warning to Republicans
Schumer urged his Republican colleagues to join him if a war powers resolution becomes necessary, saying Americans are “sick to their stomachs” at the prospect of being drawn into another conflict—one he argued Trump appears to be considering “in secret.”
“All it takes is one lapse in judgment from either side, and suddenly our troops could find themselves in an armed conflict with Venezuela,” Schumer said.
He also took aim at Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, describing him as “so obviously insecure” and accusing him of bragging about the military’s lethality while not treating his role with the seriousness it demands.
“This man is a national embarrassment,” Schumer said, referencing Hegseth’s role in authorizing the contentious September operation in the Caribbean that killed survivors on a previously struck vessel.
White House and Pentagon Defend the Strikes
Earlier Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the September 2 strike as lawmakers from both parties called for congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
“The president has the right to take them out,” Leavitt said of alleged drug boats, so long as they are “threatening the United States of America.”
Leavitt did not dispute a Washington Post report that there were survivors after the initial strike in the incident. Her comments followed Trump’s own remark a day earlier, when he said he “wouldn’t have wanted that—not a second strike” when asked about the operation.
Hegseth, for his part, responded on X on Friday, accusing “fake news” outlets of pushing “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting” to undermine U.S. forces.
“Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” he wrote.
The administration says the strikes are aimed at drug cartels, some of which it claims are controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Trump is also weighing whether to extend those operations to include strikes on Venezuela’s mainland.
Schumer Demands Transparency
Schumer on Monday demanded far more openness from the administration about its strategy toward Venezuela and its legal rationale for the strikes, saying there is no reason to keep Americans in the dark if there is nothing to hide.
Last week, he issued a similar warning on X, writing: “President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war. Under our Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war — not the President — and Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Venezuela.”
What Comes Next
Leavitt confirmed that Trump would convene his national security team later on Monday to review ongoing operations in the Caribbean Sea and consider potential next steps against Venezuela—setting the stage for a possible confrontation with Congress if the president moves toward a broader military campaign.
