Democrats Split After Trump Captures Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
At least one House Democrat praised President Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro following surprise U.S. military strikes in Venezuela late Saturday. “The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela’s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., wrote on X, Fox News reported.
“However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,” she added. “Venezuelans deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law, not a state of endless violence and spiraling disorder.
“My hope is it offers a passage to true democracy and liberation,” Wasserman Schultz noted further . “This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González.”
Wasserman Schultz did criticize the Trump administration for allegedly failing to notify Congress before the operation.
“I’ll demand answers as to why Congress and the American people were bypassed in this effort,” she wrote.
“The absence of congressional involvement prior to this action risks the continuation of the illegitimate Venezuelan regime,” she added.
“Congress must be properly informed and hold hearings on this invasion,” Wasserman Schultz wrote. “As always, I will work to bring about the promise of a liberated Venezuela.”
Her reaction stood in contrast to many other Democrats, who sharply criticized Trump’s actions in Venezuela.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accused Trump of violating the U.S. Constitution.
“Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution,” Tlaib wrote.
“These are the actions of a rogue state,” she added.
Other Democrats focused less on condemnation and more on congressional oversight.
“While I strongly oppose the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro, President Trump’s military action was a serious constitutional violation,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
“The Trump administration does not have sole authority to commit such acts,” he added.
“I reaffirm my position that Congress must be fully informed before the U.S. engages in hostilities towards another nation,” Espaillat said.
“I urge an immediate and full briefing for Members of Congress following ongoing developments in Venezuela and the subsequent long-term consequences in the region,” he added.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., raised multiple questions while stopping short of outright condemnation.
“Far too many questions remain unanswered, including with respect to whether further military actions are planned,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.
“First, how many American troops remain on the ground in Venezuela?” he asked.
“Second, what does America is going to run Venezuela until a judicious transition takes place mean?” Jeffries continued.
“Third, were these military strikes about seizing foreign oil to benefit friends of the Trump administration?” he added.
“Fourth, why did Donald Trump pardon the former Honduran president, a narco trafficker convicted in an American court of law, but is willing to take us to war in Venezuela in connection with similar allegations,” Jeffries wrote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Maduro an “illegitimate leader” but warned against deeper U.S. involvement.
“The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans,” Schumer said.
“The American people have seen this before and paid the devastating price,” he added.
“To distract from skyrocketing costs Americans face and the historic cover-up of the Epstein files, Donald Trump is attempting to throw Americans into more international chaos and uncertainty,” Schumer said.
Trump announced earlier on Truth Social that the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela.”
He said Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later said both were indicted in the Southern District of New York.
DoJ Demands Records On Minnesota Same-Day Voter Vouching System-llllllllllllllll
Heightened scrutiny over Minnesota’s sprawling social services fraud case has prompted renewed attention to the state’s election procedures. A report circulated by Scott Presler, founder of Early Vote Action, has raised questions about Minnesota’s same-day voter registration and vouching system.
Under current state law, a registered voter may vouch for the residency of up to eight individuals seeking same-day registration, provided they live in the same voting precinct, Red State reported. Individuals who are vouched for are not permitted to vouch for others.
In addition, an employee of a residential facility may vouch for an unlimited number of residents of that facility.
Both voters and employees who vouch for others are required to swear under oath that the individual being vouched for is a resident of the precinct.
Critics say the process raises concerns about verification and oversight, particularly given the volume of same-day registrations.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has formally requested records from Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon related to the state’s same-day registration and vouching practices.
“This system seems facially inconsistent with the Help America Vote Act of 2002. We’ll see!” Dhillon wrote in a letter to the state.
Dhillon requested records from all federal elections over the past 22 months, including documentation supporting same-day registrations and materials related to the vouching process under Minnesota Statute 201.061, Subdivision 3.
The request covers elections, including the 2024 primary and general election.
Dhillon gave the state 15 days to provide the records to determine compliance with the Help America Vote Act.
Presler praised the move, calling it a significant step toward investigating election integrity concerns.
Federal agencies, including the FBI, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security, are already conducting investigations in Minnesota on separate matters.
State officials have defended the election system, arguing that multiple safeguards are in place to prevent abuse.
Not all critics are persuaded by those assurances.
Bill Glahn of the Center for the American Experiment, a Twin Cities-based conservative public policy organization, questioned the effectiveness of those safeguards.
“It’s like murder’s illegal, but it happens all the time,” Glahn said.
“It’s a penalty of perjury,” he added. “You signed an oath, but if you signed as Mickey Mouse, they’re not going to find you.”
Nearly 500 employees in Minnesota’s state government say Gov. Tim Walz ignored repeated internal warnings about large-scale fraud involving state aid programs within the Somali community, and that he retaliated against staff who raised concerns.
The employees, who work within the state Department of Human Services, have for several years operated an anonymous X account outlining what they describe as ongoing cases of fraud and misuse of public funds. The group has previously directed warnings to state leaders and to Minnesota residents about patterns of financial abuse they say they identified in program oversight.
In a new post, the employees alleged that Walz not only failed to act on their alerts but also took punitive measures against staff members who attempted to report the issues through official channels. The governor’s office has not yet responded to the renewed claims.
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“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota,” the group said in a November 29 post referencing a New York Times article on the crimes. “We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud, but no, we got the opposite response.
“Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports,” they added. “Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz, certain DFL members, and an indifferent mainstream media. It’s scary, isolating, and left us wondering who we can turn to.”
