Early Saturday morning, President Trump authorized a military operation to strike and capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move that reportedly caught most members of Congress off guard.
As news of the operation broke, lawmakers quickly took to Twitter/X, with reactions largely splitting along party lines.
https://twittter.com/SenRubenGallego/status/2007433155477717121
As Elizabeth previously reported, Sen. Marco Rubio had already begun briefing several senators on Maduro and the operation following the Venezuelan leader’s capture.
As the situation unfolded, President Trump stopped short of immediately endorsing opposition leader María Corina Machado. In a phone interview with Fox News on live TV, Trump noted that Venezuela “has a VP” and emphasized that the United States would have a role in determining what comes next for the country.
The president also praised the “pinpoint” accuracy of the military forces that carried out the operation, though he declined to specify which branch was responsible.
Trump later confirmed that Maduro was transported to the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, before being flown to New York, where the charges against him originate.
This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Update 10:16 AM: Speaker Mike Johnson comments on the Maduro capture:
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