Watch: Stephen Miller says Venezuela needs U.S. ‘permission’ to run economy

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 01:40

Stephen Miller says U.S. is ‘in charge’ of Venezuela

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has said the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela.

“By definition, we are in charge because we have the United States military stationed outside the country. We set the terms and conditions. We have a complete embargo on all of their oil and their ability to do commerce,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday.

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 01:20

Watch: Pete Hegseth says nearly 200 troops had been to Caracas in Venezuela operation

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 01:00

Senate leader Thune says notification of Venezuela operation was ‘sufficient’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said the Trump administration’s notification of its operation in Venezuela to capture deposed President Nicolás Maduro was “sufficient.”

“I felt that the notification [of the Venezuela strikes], considering the scope of the mission, was sufficient for me,” he told reporters.

Maduro’s capture was completed without authorization from Congress. President Donald Trump says lawmakers were left in the dark out of fear someone would leak details about the operation.

Senate Democrat Mark Warner told Scripps News that high-profile members of Congress should have been notified in advance.

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 00:40

Watch: Chuck Schumer says Trump has ‘opened a Pandora’s box’ with Venezuela operation

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 00:20

Hakeem Jeffries sends warning to Trump administration about military action in Venezuela

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned the Trump administration against taking further military action in Venezuela without Congressional approval.

“No further military action should be taken in Venezuela or anywhere else without explicit Congressional approval,” Jefferies told reporters Monday.

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was completed without authorization from Congress. President Donald Trump says lawmakers were left in the dark out of fear someone would leak details about the operation.

Rachel Dobkin6 January 2026 00:00

Watch: Republican Rep. Jim Jordan asked if U.S. should run Venezuela

Rachel Dobkin5 January 2026 23:40

Trump officials brief Congress on Venezuela operation

Top officials from the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are briefing Congressional leaders on the military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said in a rare joint statement that there was “no legitimate basis” to keep them from the closed-door meeting.

“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated that this was a law enforcement operation that was made at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over DOJ, FBI and DEA, and all three agencies are led by individuals who our Committee vetted and processed,” the two senators said.

“There is no legitimate basis for excluding the Senate Judiciary Committee from this briefing. The administration’s refusal to acknowledge our Committee’s indisputable jurisdiction in this matter is unacceptable and we are following up to ensure the Committee receives warranted information regarding Maduro’s arrest,” the statement continued.

Rachel Dobkin5 January 2026 23:20

Watch: Republican Rep. Jim Jordan says he trusts Trump with Venezuela operation

Rachel Dobkin5 January 2026 23:00

Hakeem Jeffries pushes back on Trump admin’s claims about Maduro capture

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushes back on the Trump administration’s claims that the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a “law enforcement action.”

“It was military action, not a law enforcement action,” Jeffries told reporters Monday.

Maduro was indicted by the Justice Department in 2020 on drug charges, which he pleaded not guilty to Monday.

Rachel Dobkin5 January 2026 22:40