President Donald Trump blasted five RINO (Republican In Name Only) senators Thursday after they joined Democrats to restrict his ability to take further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Trump blasted the move, and said the five Republicans “should never be elected to office again.”
The Senate voted 52-47 to advance the war powers resolution less than a week after Trump ordered U.S. forces to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in an overnight raid.
The measure, led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, would require “the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.”
Five Republicans broke ranks to vote against the White House with all 47 Democrats: Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Todd Young of Indiana, and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana did not vote.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again. This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief.”
The vote is a rare rebuke of Trump from members of his own party and comes as the president has threatened military action against other countries, including Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, and Iran, under what he calls the “Donroe Doctrine,” a play on the Monroe Doctrine.
Several of the Republicans who voted for the resolution said Trump’s comments about having the U.S. “run” Venezuela for an extended period prompted their decision.
In a New York Times interview published Thursday, Trump suggested American oversight of Venezuela could last “much longer” than a year, saying “only time will tell.”
“I believe invoking the War Powers Act at this moment is necessary, given the president’s comments about the possibility of ‘boots on the ground’ and a sustained engagement ‘running’ Venezuela, with which I do not agree,” Collins said in a statement.
The unpopular Maine Republican is up for reelection in November in a seat Democrats view as their top target for flipping control of the Senate.
Collins, Young, and Hawley all flipped their votes after previously opposing similar resolutions last year that would have blocked Trump from conducting airstrikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats off Venezuela’s coast. More than 100 suspected narco-terrorists were killed in those strikes.
“With Maduro rightfully captured, the circumstances have now changed,” Collins said. “While I support the operation to seize Nicolas Maduro, which was extraordinary in its precision and complexity, I do not support committing additional U.S. forces or entering into any long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific congressional authorization.”
Paul accused Republicans of abandoning constitutional principles in an editorial published Wednesday. “Make no mistake, bombing another nation’s capital and removing their leader is an act of war plain and simple,” he wrote. “No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency.”
Murkowski said Congress must “affirm our role under Article 1” of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to declare war.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was “not shocked” by the result but called it “unfortunate” that the Senate floor would be tied up next week debating Trump’s war powers when Congress still needs to pass nine appropriations bills before the January 30 government funding deadline.
The procedural vote Thursday sets up final consideration of the resolution next week, with passage expected.
However, the measure faces significant hurdles. It would still need to pass the Republican-controlled House, where few GOP members have shown willingness to buck Trump on the issue, and would certainly face a presidential veto.
Overriding Trump’s veto requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers, which is extremely unlikely.
Vice President JD Vance said he spoke to the five Republican senators and that “in large part, their argument was based more on a legal technicality than any disagreement of policy.”