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Trump’s in Venezuela: Legal, constitutional

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Posted By: JoElla Bee, 1/4/2026 3:06:35 PM

The Trump critics are out again, criticizing Trump’s use of the military in Venezuela to depose Nicolás Maduro.  The critics cite Congress’s power to declare war under Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution as proof that Trump acted “illegally” and “unconstitutionally.”  The critics are wrong and are misreading the Constitution.[snip] The president gets to act first, and he can act unilaterally, as Trump did.  Or he can ask Congress for a declaration of war or an authorization to use force, as FDR and Bush 43 did.  But the final say belongs to the people in the form of how their elected representatives judge the president’s action after the fact.

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Reply 1 - Posted by: Venturer 1/4/2026 4:26:37 PM (No. 2049423)
The critics are wrong and DELIBERATELY misreading the Constitution.
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Reply 2 - Posted by: bighambone 1/4/2026 8:29:24 PM (No. 2049520)
I believe the so-called War Powers Act gives the President 48 hours to notify the Congress of a military action. I believe that those briefings have been scheduled for tomorrow. So what are the liberal leftist Democrats complaining about? Obviously the liberal leftist Democrats have been complaining about everything that Trump does or says, so you have to figure that if Trump and his crew somehow found a cure for cancer that the Democrats would pop up complaining.
1 person likes this.

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