Trump’s Unilateral Action in Venezuela Defended by Retired Military Leader

In a recent statement, Rep. Derrick Van Orden emphasized that President Donald Trump acted within his constitutional authority during the operation resulting in Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro being taken into custody. The Wisconsin Republican, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, noted that Trump was correct not to brief senior congressional leaders ahead of the strike due to concerns about potential leaks.

Van Orden stressed that while the executive branch must provide Congress with a detailed briefing regarding the operation and its decision-making process after the fact, he remains “completely comfortable” with the executive branch operating as intended. He cited instances where information shared in closed-door settings was rapidly disseminated across social media platforms, stating: “The information that we’re talking about as being live-tweeted within four seconds of it being said.”

The representative also highlighted the risk to military personnel from political sabotage, noting that certain members of the Democratic Party would be willing to undermine operations due to their opposition to Trump. Van Orden praised the mission’s execution as “one of the most fantastic special operations missions ever,” describing it as “incredibly complex” and requiring months of planning with seamless coordination “from space down to a rifle in your hand.” He added, “It was done to perfection. I’m thanking God that they got out without anybody getting killed.”

When questioned about constitutional authority for such actions, Van Orden affirmed that the president’s conduct falls squarely under Article II of the Constitution: “Of course he does. It’s absolutely 100% within the purview of Article II of the Constitution for the president of the United States, acting as the commander in chief, to conduct these military operations.” He rejected Democratic accusations that Trump acted unconstitutionally, stating the commander in chief has clear authority to carry out such operations.

Van Orden also confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump defended the administration’s decision not to brief senior congressional leaders ahead of the strike on Saturday.