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Schumer accuses Trump of edging closer to Venezuela military conflict

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) issued a stern warning Saturday about President Donald Trump’s handling of Venezuela, accusing Trump of moving the United States “increasingly closer to another increasingly costly foreign war” without congressional approval.

In a striking statement, Schumer criticized Trump’s recent escalation towards Venezuela and argued that the president was subverting the Constitution.

“President Trump’s reckless actions against Venezuela are pushing America toward an increasingly costly foreign war,” Schumer said. “Under our Constitution, the authority to declare war belongs to Congress, not the President, and Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Venezuela.”

The minority leader warned the president to avoid engaging in another overseas conflict, writing: “Americans are tired of endless foreign wars that cost the lives of countless American soldiers and drain valuable resources.”

Senate Republicans BLOCKED BILATERAL EFFORTS TO STOP MILITARY ACTIONS AND DRUG BOAT ATTACKS IN THE CARIBBEAN

“This is not an America First policy,” he added.

Schumer called for bipartisan pushback, urging his colleagues in Congress to “come together to return the power to declare war to the people.”

The New York Democrat’s comments came after Trump wrote on Truth Social that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “totally closed.”

SENATORS WANT TO PREVENT TRUMP FROM ENTERING “HOSTILITIES” IN VENEZUELA

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) issued a stern warning about President Donald Trump’s behavior toward Venezuela on Nov. 29, accusing him of pushing the United States “increasingly closer to another costly foreign war.” (Reuters)

“All Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers, please consider a COMPLETE CLOSURE OF AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA,” he wrote.

The post comes a week after the Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines about a “deteriorating security situation” in the region.

Speaking to US soldiers on Thanksgiving Day, Trump said the US would “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers “by ground”.

DEM PRESSURE BUILDING TO RESPOND TO TRUMP’S CARIBBEAN SHOTS, COMMANDER’S SURPRISE

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s attacks on alleged drug ships in the Caribbean Sea on Friday. (Omer Havana/Getty Images)

“In recent weeks, you have been working to deter the overwhelming number of Venezuelan drug traffickers,” Trump said. “Of course, there aren’t many people coming by sea anymore. You’ve probably noticed that?”

The president added that drug traffickers kill “hundreds of thousands of people a year” in the United States because of the “poisons” they bring.

Trump did not rule out the idea of sending American troops to Venezuela on November 17 and said he did not rule out the possibility.

TRUMP IS USING THE MILITARY POWER OF THE USA ON THE CARTELS. IS A LARGER WAR COMING?

President Donald Trump was criticized by Senator Chuck Schumer on Saturday for his latest approach to Venezuela. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Asked whether he was ignoring the deployment of troops, Trump replied, “No, I’m not ignoring that, I’m not ignoring anything.”

On Friday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s attacks on drug ships in the Caribbean Sea.

“As we have said from the beginning and in every statement, these highly effective attacks are specifically aimed at ‘lethal, kinetic attacks,'” Hegseth wrote to X. Those who poison the American people. “Every trafficker we killed was affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”

Hegseth’s statement followed reports from multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post and CNN, alleging that the US military ordered a second attack on a suspected drug ship in the Caribbean on September 2 after two people survived the first attack.

“As always, fake news delivers more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory stories to discredit our incredible warriors who fight to protect the homeland,” Hegseth wrote in his post. he added.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala. and Ranking Member Adam Smith, D-Wash., issued a joint statement Saturday, reiterating that the committee is “committed to rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean.”

“We take subsequent reports of attacks on boats allegedly transporting narcotics in the SOUTHCOM area seriously and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of that operation,” the lawmakers wrote.

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