Let me be very clear: what President Trump is doing in Venezuela is not a foreign policy decision. It is a constitutional crisis. It is an act of imperialism. And it demands an immediate response from Congress.
On January 3rd, the Trump administration launched military operations against Venezuela—a sovereign nation thousands of miles away. The President has provided no credible evidence of an imminent threat to the United States. He has not sought Congressional authorization. And he has not bothered to hide what this is really about: access to Venezuela’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.
This is not the first time a U.S. President has tried to circumvent Congress to wage war. But it is among the most brazen.
The Constitutional Violation We Cannot Ignore
Here is something fundamental that too many people have forgotten: The President of the United States does not have the authority to declare war. That power—explicitly—belongs to Congress. It is written into our Constitution. It is not ambiguous. It is not up for debate.
Yet for decades, presidents from both parties have gradually eroded this principle. They have launched military operations, invaded countries, toppled governments—all without the explicit approval of Congress. Some used the post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force as a justification. Others simply acted without asking.
Trump is now doing the same thing. But his audacity is astonishing. He has not merely avoided Congress; he has openly declared that the United States has a “right” to “run Venezuela.”
Run Venezuela. Let that sink in.
This is not diplomacy. This is not deterrence against a genuine threat. This is naked colonialism—updated for the 21st century, dressed up in the language of national security and regime change, but colonialism nonetheless.
Why This Matters for Every American
Now, let me tell you who is paying attention to what America is doing right now. Vladimir Putin. Xi Jinping. Authoritarian leaders around the world who are watching to see if the United States has abandoned the principle of national sovereignty in favor of military force.
When the United States invades Venezuela to seize control of its resources, what message does that send to Putin about Ukraine? What message does it send to China about Taiwan?
We are essentially telling every authoritarian regime on Earth: “If you can muster the military power, you can invade your neighbors and take what you want. The United States will have established the precedent.”
This is not leadership. This is chaos. This is the logic that has destabilized the world for centuries.
The Oil. It’s Always the Oil.
Let us not pretend this is about democracy or human rights. If Trump cared about authoritarian regimes, he would not have cozied up to Saudi Arabia. He would not have praised Putin. He would not have abandoned the Kurdish fighters who fought ISIS alongside us.
This is about oil. Venezuela has 303 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. It has the largest reserves of any country on Earth. And there are corporations—American corporations—that want access to that oil. So we have a President who campaigned as “America First,” who said he would end “endless wars,” who promised to bring troops home and rebuild American infrastructure. And what is he actually doing? He is launching a military adventure in Venezuela to secure oil reserves for corporate interests.
That is not “America First.” That is “Corporate America First.”
While Rome Burns, Trump Fiddles
Here is what should enrage every American: While the President is playing imperialist in Venezuela, the United States faces catastrophic domestic crises.
Sixty percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. We have a healthcare system that is a global embarrassment. We have a homeless crisis. We have an affordable housing crisis. We have crumbling infrastructure. We have students drowning in debt. And now we face the economic disruption of artificial intelligence, with no plan to retrain workers or protect jobs.
This is what the President should be focused on. This is his job. To improve the lives of ordinary Americans. Not to manage the internal affairs of other nations. Not to seize oil reserves. Not to play empire.When the President says he is “America First,” he should mean it. He should be fighting to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. He should be fighting for Medicare for All. He should be fighting to make housing affordable. He should be fighting to create millions of good-paying jobs in clean energy.
Instead, he is bombing Venezuela.
Congress Must Act. Now.
There is only one constitutional remedy for this lawlessness: Congress must immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to terminate this military operation.
The War Powers Act, passed in 1973 after Vietnam, gives Congress the authority to force an end to military operations that the President has initiated without Congressional approval. It has been used rarely. But it exists for moments exactly like this—when a President overreaches, when the Constitution is violated, when the nation needs to reassert the rule of law.
Every member of Congress—Democratic and Republican—should support this resolution. Not because they agree or disagree with Venezuela’s government. But because the Constitution matters. Because Congress has a constitutional obligation. And because the world needs to see that America still believes in the rule of law.
A Choice About Who We Are
Make no mistake: This moment is about more than Venezuela. It is a choice about what kind of nation we are.
Are we a nation that follows the Constitution? Or are we a nation where the President can wage war whenever he wants, for whatever reason he wants?
Are we a nation that respects the sovereignty of other countries? Or are we a nation that invades and occupies other nations to seize their resources?
Are we a nation that leads the world by example—by demonstrating that democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights work? Or are we a nation that rules by force?
I know where I stand. The Trump administration’s military operation in Venezuela is unconstitutional. It is immoral. It is imperialism. And it must end.
Congress must act. We must defend our Constitution. We must make clear that even a President of the United States is not above the law.
