President Donald Trump said Thursday that he does not need congressional approval to carry out ground strikes against Venezuela, pushing back against critics who argue he has already stretched his constitutional authority with military actions at sea.
When a reporter asked whether he would seek authorization from U.S. lawmakers to hit drug cartels on land in the Latin American country, Trump said he'd have no problem doing that, although he cited concerns that politicians "leak like a sieve."
"I wouldn't mind telling them, but you know, it's not a big deal. I don't have to tell them," he said in the Oval Office.
The United States has conducted multiple air strikes since September against drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, causing at least 99 deaths.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claims the U.S. campaign seeks regime change instead of its stated goal of stopping drug trafficking.
According to the Constitution, while the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, only Congress has the authority to formally declare war — a point raised not just by the Democrat opposition but also some lawmakers in the president's party, although most Republicans have supported him.
"The president has failed to demonstrate the necessary authority under U.S. or international law to conduct lethal military strikes on these boats," New York Democrat Rep. Gregory Meeks said during a House debate.
"No one can credibly claim that these vessels, in some cases not even traveling to the United States and located thousands of miles from U.S. soil, posed an imminent threat to the American people warranting the use of military force," he said.
Experts say Trump could order limited military strikes inside Venezuela without Congress, but only temporarily and only if framed as defensive or limited in scope.
After the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Congress authorized the use of military force for U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which was also cited for counterterrorism operations in other countries.