President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the administration’s decision not to brief senior congressional leaders ahead of the U.S. strike in Venezuela, arguing that advance notice would have jeopardized the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Speaking Saturday at a press conference carried by Newsmax, Rubio said the mission was "trigger-based," unfolding only when specific conditions were met after days of monitoring.
He said it was not the type of operation that allowed for advance congressional notification, stressing that the action was fundamentally a law-enforcement mission, the arrest of "two indicted fugitives of American justice," with the military supporting the Department of Justice.
Rubio acknowledged broader policy implications but said pre-notification would have endangered U.S. forces and the success of the mission.
Trump echoed that view, adding bluntly that Congress has "a tendency to leak," which he said could have produced "a very different result."
The comments came as multiple sources told ABC News that the so-called "Gang of Eight," the top Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, were not briefed before the operation began.
Such leaders are typically notified of highly sensitive national security actions.
Trump said Venezuelan forces were aware U.S. action was possible, citing the visible presence of U.S. ships in the region, but maintained that limiting advance disclosure was necessary to protect the mission and U.S. personnel.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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