Rubio stands by Venezuela attack, says Trump retains authority to use force

WASHINGTON— Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the door open Wednesday for future U.S. military action against Venezuela, telling lawmakers that the Trump administration does not expect further escalation but that the president retains the authority to use force if Venezuela’s interim leadership or other American adversaries defy U.S. demands.

Rubio’s remarks echo President Trump’s “huge navyPressuring Iran to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons program, amid broader questions about how recent U.S. tensions with Denmark over Greenland are affecting America’s relations with NATO allies.

“The President never ignores his options as commander in chief to protect the national interests of the United States,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I can tell you now with complete certainty that we do not intend and do not expect to undertake any military action in Venezuela at any time.”

The appearance was Rubio’s first public testimony before a congressional panel since U.S. forces brought former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to New York nearly a month ago to face drug trafficking charges. Rubio was under pressure from Democratic lawmakers over congressional war powers and whether the operation meaningfully improved democracy in Venezuela.

“We traded one dictator for another. It’s always the same people running the country,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Acting President Delcy Rodríguez “has taken no steps to reduce the considerable influence of Iran, China or Russia in Venezuela.”

Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, has pledged to open Venezuela’s energy sector to American companies, provide privileged access to production and use the revenues to purchase American goods, Rubio said.

But questions remain about Rodríguez’s alleged ties to trafficking networks. The Associated Press reported that he had been on the DEA’s radar for years because of his suspected involvement in drug and gold smuggling, but no public criminal charges had been filed.

Despite Trump’s warning that Rodríguez would “pay a huge price” if he did not cooperate, Rodríguez publicly pushed back against U.S. pressure on trade policy.

“We have the right to establish diplomatic relations with China, with Russia, with Iran, with Cuba, with all the peoples of the world. Also with the United States. We are a sovereign nation,” Rodríguez said earlier this month.

Venezuela is among the largest recipients of Chinese loans worldwide, with more than $100 billion in loans committed over the past decade. Much of this debt was repaid through discounted oil shipments under the oil-for-credit framework, financing Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, and helping stabilize successive Venezuelan governments.

U.S. military leaders have warned Congress about Iran’s growing strategic presence in the hemisphere, including concerns about its ballistic missile capabilities and supply of attack and surveillance aircraft to Venezuela.

“If a drone factory turns up in Iran and threatens our forces in the region, the president retains the option to eliminate it,” Rubio said.

Democrats also argued that the administration’s broad foreign policy undermines U.S. economic power and competing alliances, especially with China.

China is reporting a record global trade surplus in 2025 despite Trump’s tariff campaign, lawmakers said, while estimates show U.S. manufacturing employment has fallen by tens of thousands of jobs since the tariffs took effect.

Senators pushed back on the State Department’s claim that U.S. policy unites allies against China; Instead, he argued that tariffs and recent military escalations involving Greenland, Iran and Venezuela have strained relations with key partners. They cited Canada as an example and noted that Ottawa recently struck a trade deal with China due to concerns about the reliability of the United States as a partner.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a Republican opponent on Venezuela, rejected the Trump administration’s characterization of Maduro’s capture as a law enforcement operation rather than an act of war.

He pressured Rubio about congressional authorization.

“If we were to say that a foreign country invaded our capital, bombed all of our air defenses – which would have been a massive bombing campaign, and it was – deposed our president, and then blockaded the country, we would think that was an act of war,” Paul said as he left the hearing. he said.

Congressional Republicans voted earlier this month to reject a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to launch further attacks on Venezuela after two GOP senators reversed course on supporting the legislation.

They did so based on informal assurances from the administration that members of Congress would be consulted before taking military action.

“I was a big fan [congressional] “I consulted while I was sitting there,” Rubio said, joking about his time as a senator on the committee. “Now, you know, it’s a different business, a different time.”

The War Powers Act determines how the executive branch must manage military operations, including that the administration must report military operations to Congress within 48 hours.

“And if it’s going to take longer than 60 days, we have to come to Congress with this. We don’t expect any of this to happen,” Rubio said.

He added that the administration’s ultimate goal is a “friendly, stable and prosperous Venezuela” and warned that free and fair elections will take time as the administration works with Rodríguez to stabilize the country.

“Elections can be held all day long, but if the opposition does not have access to the media, they are not free and fair elections,” Rubio said. “Some of the Venezuelan population may not like Maduro, but they still adhere to the Chavista ideology. They will also be represented on this platform.”

Rubio’s failure to offer a concrete timeline has raised skepticism from lawmakers, who cite ongoing reports that political prisoners remain in prison and opposition figures such as Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado will still be blocked from taking office. He will meet with Machado this week to discuss his role in the ongoing regime change.

“I’ve known Maria Corina for probably 12 or 13 years,” Rubio said. “I probably dealt with it more than anyone else.”

But the reality on the ground remains difficult, he said, adding that the administration is hedging its bets on the current Venezuelan government to comply with U.S. efforts to stabilize the economy and eliminate political violence before fair elections can be held.

“The people who control the weapons there and the government institutions are in the hands of this regime,” Rubio said.