AT A GLANCE
- Rep. Maxine Waters says she is reconsidering impeachment after Trump ordered military action in Venezuela without congressional approval
- The operation led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the seizure of the country’s oil infrastructure
- Democrats argue the strikes amount to an unconstitutional act of war
- Maduro pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges in his first American court appearance
Waters Notably Called for Trump’s Impeachment Shortly After He Began His First Term
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., says she is “reconsidering” impeachment in response to President Donald Trump’s unilateral military action in Venezuela, a move that bypassed Congress, resulted in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro, and placed the nation’s oil infrastructure under U.S. control.
“What we are witnessing is an unprecedented escalation of an unlawful invasion, the detention of foreign leaders, and a president openly asserting power far beyond what the Constitution allows,” Waters said in a statement released Sunday.
As ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, Waters joined a growing number of Democrats condemning Trump’s decision to launch military strikes without congressional authorization. She said Democrats “must take a firm stand against this abuse of authority,” warning against normalizing a president acting outside constitutional limits.
“We cannot normalize it. We cannot excuse it. And we cannot allow any president to place himself above the Constitution, Congress, or the rule of law,” Waters said.
Waters has long been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics. She called for his impeachment early in his first term and remained vocal as he was impeached twice, though both efforts ended without removal due to a lack of Republican support in the Senate.
Following Trump’s controversial actions in Venezuela—an intervention critics warn could turn into a prolonged and costly foreign operation—Waters suggested it may be time to reconsider the belief that impeachment is futile under current political conditions.
“During Donald Trump’s first term, I called for his impeachment under then Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He was impeached twice, yet escaped accountability due to a lack of Republican support,” Waters said. “Today, many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality.”
“I am reconsidering that view,” she added. “Even if Republicans refuse to act, Democrats cannot remain silent or passive in the face of actions this extreme from this Administration.”
Waters described Trump’s conduct as an “abuse of power” that demands an immediate congressional response, pointing to the president’s public comments boasting about detaining Maduro and suggesting he could unilaterally decide who governs Venezuela—or even run the country himself.
“That is not strength,” Waters said. “It is reckless, delusional, and extremely dangerous.”
She acknowledged that Maduro has inflicted real harm on the Venezuelan people but emphasized that no U.S. president has the authority to bypass Congress to launch military strikes against a sovereign nation, particularly while openly citing control of oil resources as part of the motivation.
“We have been down this road before,” Waters said, drawing a comparison to the Iraq War. “It led to a disastrous, decades-long war driven by oil and lies, and I will not stand idly by as this president attempts to drag our nation into another endless conflict.”
(WABC via AP)
The political and legal fallout intensified Monday as Maduro appeared in a U.S. courtroom for the first time since his capture. The deposed Venezuelan leader declared himself “innocent” and a “decent man” as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
“I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country,” Maduro told the judge.
The narco-terrorism charges are the same allegations the Trump administration cited to justify the military operation that brought Maduro and his wife to the United States. Wearing a blue jail uniform, Maduro and his wife were led into court around noon for the brief but required proceeding, which is expected to kick off a prolonged legal battle over whether he can be tried in the U.S., raising significant questions about jurisdiction and international law. His next court date is set for March 17.
Members of the Trump administration are expected to brief congressional leaders on Monday about the operation. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who will participate in the briefing, sharply criticized the administration’s failure to notify Congress ahead of the strikes.
Jeffries dismissed the White House’s claim that secrecy was necessary to prevent leaks, saying the administration has presented no evidence of an imminent threat to U.S. national security.
“There’s been no evidence that the administration has presented to justify the actions that were taken,” Jeffries said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “This was not simply a counter-narcotics operation. It was an act of war.”
He added that under the Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war or authorize such actions, underscoring Democrats’ argument that Trump’s Venezuela operation represents a profound challenge to constitutional limits on presidential power.
