• Wasserman Schultz calls capture “welcome news” while criticizing lack of notification
• Moskowitz thanks military but says actions must align with Constitution
• Soto calls Maduro “murderous dictator” while questioning Trump’s legal authority

WASHINGTON (TDR) — Numerous House Democrats offered cautious praise for President Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Saturday morning, calling the removal of the “brutal dictator” a step toward democracy while sharply questioning the constitutional authority for the military operation.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) led Florida Democrats in welcoming Maduro’s ouster while expressing concerns about the aftermath.

“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,” Wasserman Schultz wrote on X, according to Mediaite.

“However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,” she continued. “Venezuelans deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law, not a state of endless violence and spiraling disorder.”

Democracy and Constitutional Concerns

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The congresswoman emphasized the opportunity for Edmundo González, whom the U.S. and numerous international observers recognized as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed July 2024 presidential election, to take power.

“This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González,” Wasserman Schultz stated.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) struck a similar tone, celebrating Maduro’s removal while insisting on constitutional compliance.

“No one should miss” Maduro because he “brutally oppressed” Venezuelans and “committed human rights violations,” Moskowitz wrote. He thanked the military for “their courage and professionalism.”

“However, any actions we take to end the illegitimate rule of Maduro must be in line with our Constitution,” Moskowitz added, according to Mediaite. “After being told by the administration that the correct congressional leaders would be briefed, there is no evidence that this took place.”

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The Florida congressman urged the administration to ensure next steps are “guided by de-escalation, protection of innocent lives, regional stability, and respect for constitutional and international norms.”

Questions About Congressional Notification

Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) called capturing the “murderous dictator” a major step toward a free Venezuela and urged González be “seated as the rightful new president.”

However, Soto criticized Trump for failing to seek Congressional approval, stating the administration “made multiple false promises that it would not invade Venezuela without Congressional consent.”

Multiple sources told ABC News the “Gang of 8” congressional leaders did not receive a briefing before the operation. The Department of Defense notified congressional staff only after it started.

Trump defended the decision, stating “Congress has a tendency to leak,” according to CBS News.

Broader Democratic Response

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called Maduro a “criminal and authoritarian dictator” but argued Trump “has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) warned, “The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), an Iraq War veteran, called the operation an “illegal war” comparable to Iraq.

Republicans overwhelmingly backed the operation. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called it “decisive and justified,” while Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Maduro “ran a vast drug-trafficking operation.”

Trump announced the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until ensuring a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” though he provided no timeline. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by Delta Force and transported to New York to face narco-terrorism charges.

Can Democrats support removing a dictator while opposing the constitutional process used to achieve it?

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