Trump calls for DEFEAT of defiant five Republicans who crossed him on Venezuela ... including a potential successor
Senators voted Thursday to approve a move to potentially subdue President Donald Trump's capabilities to execute further military actions in Venezuela without the approval of Congress.
President Donald Trump is furious at a cadre of five Republican Senators who defiantly voted to curb his ability to engage in further military actions in Venezuela during a procedural move on Capitol Hill Thursday.
Trump named Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Todd Young of Indiana, and, most surprisingly, Josh Hawley of Missouri, as members of Congress who 'should never be elected to office again' as the move to restrain his authority passed 52 to 47.
The move to potentially subdue Trump's capabilities to execute further military actions in Venezuela without the approval of Congress was described by the president as one that 'greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief.'
The latest vote on a war powers resolution, which was pushed by a bipartisan duo, Virginia Democrat Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Senator Paul of Kentucky, came after the capture of Nicolas Maduro by US Special forces this past Saturday.
Thursday's passage alone won't prevent Trump from taking further military action without Congressional consent - it only promises to put a vote to limit the President's power on the calendar at a later date. The measure still faces another vote for final passage in the Senate.
Hawley's Thursday vote was the most shocking, as his Trumpian populist ideology is typically well-received by his voting base back home.
Yet, this is not the first time that Hawley has recently defied the president, as he may be looking to carve his own lane in the GOP ahead of a potential 2028 run.
Last summer, he drew Trump's ire by backing a bill to curb Congressional stock trading, being the only Republican who voted to advance the HONEST ACT out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to send it to a full Senate vote.
Donald Trump, sitting in between CIA Director John Ratcliffe (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, watches footage of the capture of Nicolas Maduro at Mar-a-Lago on January 3
Democrat Senator Tim Kaine, of Virginia, pushed the latest vote on a war powers resolution
Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump on Thursday of being ready for an 'endless war' and called upon his Republican colleagues to vote to stop the President's actions.