Post-Maduro, pressure builds on Mexico over Cuba’s new oil lifeline
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime was crucial to propping up America’s closest Communist neighbor, Cuba, for many years — but with the despot now in a New York prison, U.S. lawmakers and analysts are turning their attention to Mexico, a top U.S. ally and trading partner that has quietly taken Venezuela’s place.
As of January, Mexico reportedly accounted for 13,000 barrels per day, or 44%, of Cuba’s 2025 oil imports, the top factor keeping what some lawmakers describe as a teetering economy barely afloat. With renewed trade talks approaching in July, Republican lawmakers and conservative analysts are calling for increased pressure on Mexico to cut off Cuba’s oil lifeline.
The Trump administration is also weighing instituting a maritime blockade on oil imports to Cuba, according to Politico. The outlet noted that the move would be an escalation of its previously-stated plan to cut off imports from Venezuela, where Maduro’s former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is now acting president. Such a blockade could spur crisis in the country and lead to the economic collapse of the Castro/Diaz-Canel regime for which much of the U.S. diaspora has long hoped.
“The Cuban government was, even before this action with Maduro, probably at the weakest point that the regime has been in the last 65 years,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the only Cuban-born member of Congress.
AS TRUMP URGES DEAL, CUBAN PRESIDENT WARNS THAT THE COUNTRY WILL DEFEND ITSELF ‘TO THE LAST DROP OF BLOOD’
“This just makes them weaker. My one concern is that it appears that Mexico is now trying to prop them up. And so, the oil that they were receiving from Venezuela is now being supplanted by oil being received by Mexico.”
The Florida Republican said Mexico is in such a position in part because it is “governed by a Marxist,” casting criticism of socialist-party-aligned President Claudia Sheinbaum.
“The oil that they were receiving from Venezuela is now being supplanted by oil being received by Mexico,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter that [the Miguel Diaz-Canel] regime [in Cuba] has been suppressing and oppressing its people for 65 years, as long as they have the right ideology.”
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Gimenez said that Congress could use upcoming intracontinental trade talks over the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to pressure Sheinbaum to stop supporting the dictatorship just 90 miles from Fort Zachary Taylor, at the southern tip of his district.
Cuba is already experiencing rolling blackouts, inability to feed its people, medical shortages and a nosedive in tourism due to those developments, he said.
“Would it be okay for us to kind of nudge them over the edge? I don’t know a problem with that,” he quipped.
SENATE REPUBLICAN PREDICTS THE FALL OF THE CUBAN REGIME
Andres Martinez-Fernandez, a Latin America and national security policy analyst who leads the Heritage Foundation’s research on the region, told Fox News Digital that U.S. tolerance for Mexico’s new position may not last.
“It’s a major issue,” he said, adding the Mexico-Cuba relationship got to “worrying levels” under Sheinbaum’s predecessor and now involves a Cuban medical program he called “forced slavery for revenue” involving Cuban doctors arriving in Mexico and sending remittances home – much of which can get funneled to the regime.
If Mexico City wants to continue aiding Havana, it had better prepare for “severe pushback,” he said, similarly citing the USMCA negotiations that Gimenez mentioned.
CUBA’S PRESIDENT DEFIANT, SAYS NO NEGOTIATIONS SCHEDULED AS TRUMP MOVES TO CHOKE OFF OIL LIFELINE
Those aspects, along with President Donald Trump’s discontent with Sheinbaum’s resistance to U.S. action against cartels could come to a head, he suggested, calling Mexico’s attitude “mendacious and duplicitous.”
“It says nothing good if they decide, to maintain this overt support for the Cuban regime as we continue to see this inadequate action on the cartel front.”
Trump declared earlier this month that there will be “no more oil or money going to Cuba – Zero” and the Department of War has been seizing sanctioned “shadow-fleet” oil tankers.
A White House official said Cuba is failing of its own volition and that its rulers suffered a major setback in losing support from the ousted Maduro regime. Trump believes Cuba should make a deal “before it is too late.”
A State Department spokesperson echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital that “President Trump has made clear that the incompetent Marxists in Cuba have destroyed their island, and should make a deal before it’s too late.”
Meanwhile, the aforementioned USMCA talks are scheduled to take place in July, when the trilateral trade deal undergoes a scheduled review.
The U.S. is likely to seek additional concessions from Mexico and Canada amid trade disputes, the Center for Strategic and International Studies predicted last year, with the interceding Mexico-Cuba development likely to further invigorate such demands.
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The Sheinbaum administration, which did not respond to a request for comment, has reportedly painted its shipments as “humanitarian aid” for the Cuban people.
If Mexico continues oil shipments, it may lead to additionally tense relations between the U.S. and its southern neighbor, already frayed by Trump’s disdain for Sheinbaum’s steadfast refusal to allow American intercession against drug cartels.
If the shipments slacken, that may portend well for the aforementioned upcoming trade negotiations.
As for Cuba, many pro-democracy voices, particularly among the South Florida diaspora, hope the 66-year Castro/Diaz-Canel regime is not long for this world.
Martinez-Fernandez added the regime is likely facing one of the most difficult moments in its history; Mexico’s role aside.
RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’
In the 1990s, Cuba lost its larger “patron,” the Soviet Union, he said, and hit a rough patch until Hugo Chavez took power in 1999.
He added that while there has been Western concern about a Chinese foothold there, Beijing appears to have largely “cut ties” and said “there’s nothing new here.”
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“I do think that there is a likely need for additional developments before we see… That kind of next step collapse of the regime itself,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Commerce Department and the Palacio Nacional for comment.
Feds charge 87 individuals in massive ATM ‘jackpotting’ operation linked to Tren de Aragua gang
At least 87 individuals connected to the Venezuelan terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) have been indicted for a massive scheme in which members allegedly stole millions of dollars from ATMs nationwide, a crime commonly known as “ATM jackpotting.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska announced Monday 31 new defendants, joining 56 others previously charged in a major Homeland Security Task Force operation.
The criminal ring, largely composed of Venezuelan and Colombian nationals and TdA members, used the stolen funds to fuel its terrorist activity, including human trafficking, sex trafficking of children, kidnapping, murder and “other unspeakably evil and violent acts,” according to U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska.
“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNSEALS MULTI-STATE INDICTMENTS AGAINST TREN DE ARAGUA LEADERS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES
“This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country,” she added.
January’s indictment alleges 32 counts involving bank fraud, bank burglary, computer fraud and damage to computers.
ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA BOSS ADDED TO FBI’S MOST WANTED, SANCTIONED BY TREASURY: ‘NO BORDER WILL SHIELD HIM’
According to the Justice Department, members allegedly hacked into ATMs and forced machines to dispense cash by deploying a malware variant known as Ploutus, which was designed to delete evidence of its presence in an effort to conceal the crime.
US ACCUSES VENEZUELAN REGIME OF NARCO-TERRORISM OVER ALLIANCES WITH TREN DE ARAGUA, SINALOA CARTEL
Officials said members arrived at targeted banks and credit unions to scout ATMs and note any external security features. The groups would then open the hood or door of the machines and wait to determine whether an alarm or a law enforcement response had been triggered. Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.
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The update follows two similar indictments last year in December and October. The total 87 individuals involved face a range of federal offenses, including material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, bank fraud, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez snaps at Washington, declares ‘enough’ of US influence
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday she’s had “enough” of U.S. interference in the country’s politics, delivering a sharp rebuke of Washington during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.
“Enough already of Washington’s orders over politicians in Venezuela,” she said during an address to oil workers in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, broadcast by state-run channel Venezolana de Televisión.
“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts,” she said. “This Republic has paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and extremism in our country.”
Rodríguez’s defiant rhetoric raises questions about how far she is willing — or able — to push back against Washington. While the Venezuelan government has long used anti-U.S. language to rally domestic support, the comments come as Caracas remains heavily constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on U.S. decisions over oil licenses.
STATE DEPT CONFIRMS ‘LIMITED NUMBER’ OF PERSONNEL IN CARACAS WORKING TO RESUME VENEZUELA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
After capturing former dictator Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration made clear it had allowed Rodríguez to stay in power in an interim capacity because it believed Washington had significant influence over her decision-making.
Trump had said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela before backing Rodríguez. Trump spoke with Rodríguez recently by phone and earlier in January met with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Jan. 7.
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Any decisions by the new government will “continue to be dictated by the United States of America,” she said.
It remains unclear whether Rodríguez has the political or economic leverage to translate her public defiance into policy, or whether the remarks are aimed primarily at a domestic audience wary of U.S. influence.
The White House could not be reached for comment in light of the Venezuelan leader’s most recent comments.
Earlier Saturday, Rodriguez made an overture to the Venezuelan opposition to reach “agreements” on the nation’s political future and said there should be “no political or partisan differences when it comes to peace in Venezuela.”
Rodríguez’s rebuke comes as the United States has moved to assert control over Venezuela’s oil resources, long a centerpiece of Caracas’ economy. In early January, the White House announced an energy arrangement under which Venezuela would provide 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States at market price.
So far, the U.S. has completed at least one sale of Venezuelan crude valued at around $500 million, and more transactions are expected as part of the broader agreement.
Venezuela’s legislature recently approved an initial vote to loosen state control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, a move that would represent the first major overhaul of the industry since former leader Hugo Chavez nationalized large swaths of the industry in 2007. The legislation, which seems aimed at appeasing the U.S. government, would make room for private companies to invest in the oil industry.
Some supporters of the U.S. move to capture Maduro have been left scratching their heads by the decision to leave Rodriguez in power for an undisclosed amount of time.
After meeting with Trump earlier in January, Machado said she believed the goal was to hold new elections after a transition period, but did not say how long that would take.
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In words that seemed a cautionary warning, Machado called Rodríguez “a communist” and “the main ally and representation of the Russian regime, the Chinese and the Iranians,” while arguing that Rodríguez “does not represent the Venezuelan people” or the armed forces.
Trump told reporters in the past week Rodriguez had “shown very strong leadership so far,” and “had done a very good job.”
Venezuelan opposition leader says democratic transition would be ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ for Americas
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado argued that a successful democratic transition for her country would rapidly transform the nation’s economy and reverse years of instability, reshaping the region’s political landscape.
Machado told the New York Post in an interview that such an outcome would define Trump’s foreign policy legacy, comparing it to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“The legacy to the world is going to be huge,” she explained. “You’re going to have a prosperous Venezuela and the region.… If you make a comparison in history, this would mean for the Americas as much as the fall of the Berlin Wall had for Europe. It’s equivalent.
“For the first time in history, you will have the Americas free of communism, dictatorship and narco-terrorism for the first time,” she added.
POST TRUMP MEETING, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS COUNTRY WILL HOLD ‘FREE AND FAIR’ ELECTIONS ‘EVENTUALLY’
Machado said she intends to return to Venezuela soon to help drive a democratic transition despite the risks she faces under the country’s current government.
“I need to be there. I want to go back as soon as possible,” Machado said.
Her planned return would come at a pivotal moment for Venezuela, as interim President Delcy Rodríguez leads a U.S.-backed transition following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, a close ally of Maduro, was sworn into office on Jan. 5 after U.S. forces ousted the ex-leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their compound in Caracas during a military operation.
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The duo were flown to New York and arraigned in federal court on multiple charges to which they pleaded not guilty.
Rodríguez has since been working with the White House and has spoken with President Donald Trump by phone.
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Machado, however, voiced deep reservations about Rodríguez’s leadership, warning that the transition risks falling short without a broader break from the Maduro-era government.
“If Delcy Rodríguez stays, nothing truly changes,” she told the Post. “There will be no rule of law, no trust, no stability. Venezuelans will not come home under a criminal.”
American energy dominance gives us the power to fend off enemies and rescue Venezuela
During his remarks at the World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump re-emphasized his commitment to American energy dominance and the role that Venezuela can play. As the founder of one of America’s largest privately held oil and gas companies, my company is ready to play our part, which will mean lower prices and increased security for our citizens and brighter days for the people of Venezuela. Both are worthy and achievable goals.
President Trump set the wheels of this plan in motion when he re-assembled America’s leading oil and gas executives at the White House. The purpose was strengthening American interests in the Western Hemisphere after Nicolás Maduro had been removed from power. Venezuela is home to the world’s largest supply of crude oil reserves.
By toppling Maduro and inviting American energy leaders to the table to discuss the rebuilding of its infrastructure, Trump sent a powerful message to China and other hostile foreign actors: mess around in our backyard at your own peril.
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Trump not only understands that energy dominance means global dominance but is willing to act on it. At the same time, Venezuela deserves better than the quarter-century of corruption they have endured, and the American energy industry can help lift an impoverished country into a brighter future.
While Venezuela is blessed with the world’s largest supply of crude oil reserves, its output of 1 million barrels a day is a pittance of what it could be. As U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said oil can only “become a resource with technology, with capital, with rule of law and a system of governance that encourages the harvesting of those resources to make a better world.”
My home state of Texas produces 6.3 million barrels of crude on any given day thanks to the hard work of nearly half a million oil and gas workers in our state. Venezuela’s industry has fallen into a state of ruin because of its corrupt and illegitimate political leaders, and its citizens are paying the price.
TRUMP’S ENERGY DOMINANCE REWRITES THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE AFTER BIDEN DRAWDOWNS
Yet countries without our tremendous natural resources have come to rely on Venezuelan oil to power their own countries. China, for example, is home to 1.4 billion people, and produces around 4 million barrels of oil per day. Its demand far exceeds domestic output, forcing a reliance on other forms of energy like coal. China is the world’s largest importer of oil. More than half of Venezuelan oil exports go to China, often under flagless “shadow fleets” to avoid global sanctions.
Toppling Maduro dealt an immediate blow to China’s energy supply and international standing.
Finally, let us not lose sight of the people of Venezuela. Under Maduro and former President Hugo Chavez, the nation’s poverty rate has spiked to nearly 90%. Roughly one in four of the 32 million population have been forced from their homes. Food, education, healthcare and necessities are out of the question for many.
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All this misery in spite of the nation’s abundant natural resources, which have been mismanaged and abused by a corrupt, illegitimate and evil regime. For proof of socialism’s failures, look no further than Caracas.
Trump not only understands that energy dominance means global dominance, but is willing to act on it.
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The critics casting doubt on the path forward in Venezuela are the same people who thought it was fool’s gold to go to Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The conditions were too inhospitable to ever make the investment worthwhile, they said. Today, Prudhoe Bay is one of the most significant energy resources in the United States.
Our country has been fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit – the belief that possibilities are endless through grit, determination and hard work. We defied the odds to earn our independence, we expanded west, we put a man on the moon. We build companies from the ground up that provide good jobs, including nearly 11 million in the oil and gas industry.
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Under the pro-energy leadership of President Trump, Hilcorp Energy, as well as many others, both independent and major, stand at the ready to embark on this next chapter – one that can unlock more potential for America, provide new hope for Venezuela and put China on their heels. It won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.
Republicans narrowly reject efforts to handcuff Trump’s war powers in Venezuela
A majority of House Republicans banded together on Thursday to defeat a bipartisan war powers resolution that could have restricted President Donald Trump from taking future military action in Venezuela.
The House GOP managed to defeat the measure with its razor-thin majority in a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the White House.
The resolution failed in a 215-215 vote, falling short of securing a majority needed to succeed. Only two Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted in favor of the package.
RAND PAUL BREAKS WITH TRUMP ON VENEZUELA, CALLS ACTION ‘WAR’ AS SENATE PREPARES CONSTITUTIONAL SHOWDOWN
Speaker Johnson held the vote for over 20 minutes, buying Republicans time to vote against the resolution. Eventually one Republican latecomer, Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Tx., arrived at the chamber, breaking the stalemate and dooming the measure.
“Close the vote!” Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., yelled as Republicans struggled to solidify their opposition. “This is serious s—!”
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
The resolution directs Trump to remove troops deployed to Venezuela and mirrors a similar effort in the Senate aimed at restricting the administration from taking future military action in the country.
Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say there are currently no U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, although Trump has ordered a naval blockade off the country’s coast.
The White House sharply rebuked the legislation when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“It’s a shame that these members of Congress want to usurp the authority of the commander in chief to take vital actions to strengthen our national security and stop drugs and criminals from entering our homeland,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he expected Republicans would stick together to defeat the resolution.
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“I don’t think we will have any breaks on that,” Johnson told Fox News Digital that morning.
“We are the last great superpower, and we have to allow the president the authority to use what is his under the Constitution,” Johnson said, referring to Trump’s role as commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces. “I don’t think we need to get in the way of that.”
The McGovern-Massie resolution comes after Trump ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month in what the administration has framed as a narrowly tailored law enforcement operation.
The White House contends that the U.S. has simply detained an alleged criminal. Maduro and his wife were indicted in a New York court for allegedly facilitating drug trafficking in the U.S.
“The entire Trump administration coordinated to execute the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, who headed a major narco-trafficking foreign terrorist organization and was a fugitive of American justice,” Kelly said.
Democrats like McGovern have pushed back on the GOP’s portrayal, raising concerns that the U.S. may carry out more military operations in Venezuela.
But the bipartisan House duo’s resolution was slightly different from a similar piece of legislation by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., also dealing with Trump’s power in Venezuela.
The House version would require the Trump administration to remove any U.S. forces in the region, despite officials telling lawmakers that there were no boots on the ground in the country following the surprise strikes and capture of Maduro.
The likelihood that Massie and McGovern’s resolution would survive in the Senate is made more difficult given that lawmakers in the upper chamber already killed Kaine’s push to require congressional authorization for any future military activities in the region.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: REPUBLICANS SEEK EXIT FROM VENEZUELA WAR POWERS DEBATE AFTER RECENTLY VOTING FOR IT
Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., flipped their votes to kill the resolution after assurances and guarantees from administration officials, most notably Rubio, that there were no boots on the ground in the country.
Still, Rubio is set to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week to lay out the administration’s plan in the region. His appearance also comes amid uncertainty about Trump’s plans with Greenland.
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Rubio already teased that plan after one of several classified briefings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. For now, the administration is considering a three-pronged plan in the region focused on stabilization, recovery and transition.
State Dept official confirms ‘limited’ diplomatic team in Caracas to possibly restore US-Venezuela relations
FIRST ON FOX: A “limited number” of U.S. personnel are operating in Caracas as Washington looks to resume diplomatic relations with Venezuela after the historic capture of Nicolás Maduro, Fox News has learned.
A senior State Department official told Fox News that the Trump administration plan to resume official diplomacy with Venezuela is under way. This is the first time a State Department official has commented on reporting about the diplomatic team on the ground.
“A limited number of U.S. diplomatic and technical personnel are in Caracas conducting initial assessments for a potential phased resumption of operations,” the official said.
The official did not specify exactly what “a limited number” meant, and it is not immediately clear exactly how many people are on the ground. The phased resumption of operations would include the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy and consulate offices in Venezuela.
POST TRUMP MEETING, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS COUNTRY WILL HOLD ‘FREE AND FAIR’ ELECTIONS ‘EVENTUALLY’
Since Maduro was captured, the Trump administration has been cautious in its approach to Venezuela. President Donald Trump initially said that the U.S. would “run” the country for an undetermined period of time.
Since then, Trump has met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who he said he doubts has the support necessary to take over the country.
After her meeting with Trump, Machado spoke at a news conference hosted by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, in Washington, D.C. She said that Venezuela would hold “free and fair” elections “eventually.” However, she did not offer a timeline for how long the current interim government would be allowed to rule, only that elections would happen “as soon as possible.”
RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’
Machado also attempted to downplay the appearance of competition between herself and Maduro’s successor, interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, for Trump’s support.
“This has nothing to do with a tension or decision between Delcy Rodríguez and myself,” Machado said when asked about Trump’s openness to working with the interim government. “This is about a criminal structure that is a regime and the mandate of the Venezuelan people.”
On Jan. 15, Rodriguez, who was sworn-in as Venezuela’s interim president following the capture of Maduro, met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. A U.S. official told CBS News that the purpose of the meeting was to “deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.”
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Rodriguez’s meeting with Ratcliffe took place one day after she had a phone call with Trump, who said the conversation was “very good.”
“We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including oil, minerals, trade and, of course, national security,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!”
Kaine wants to rein in Trump’s war powers, but never did the same for Biden, Obama
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has time and again pushed to rein in President Donald Trump’s war authorities, but he has rarely gone to the same lengths for his own party’s presidents.
Kaine’s argument has stayed fairly consistent over the years that Congress should reassert its constitutional authority and decision-making in the run-up to a military conflict. And he has either led or joined several pushes over Trump’s non-consecutive terms in office to corral his war powers.
But he never pulled the same kind of move under former Presidents Barack Obama or Joe Biden, causing Republicans to question whether his desires are politically motivated or genuine.
SECRETARY RUBIO SCHEDULED TO FACE FORMER COLLEAGUES ON VENEZUELA POLICY
There was not a single war powers resolution filed in the Senate during Obama’s time in office, but Kaine did push back on his expansive use of drones in the Middle East.
“I have been as consistent as I can be, because I really got in the way of President Obama when he wanted to use military action in Syria without congressional authorization,” Kaine said. “And I told him, you know, ‘You’re like my friend. But this is, you know, a basic principle for me.’”
His latest push to curb future military action in Venezuela without congressional approval nearly succeeded in the Senate but ultimately was killed through a rare procedural move coupled with an intense pressure campaign from Trump, his administration and Senate Republican leaders.
Before the first vote, which saw five Republicans peel from their colleagues to advance the resolution, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., contended that Kaine’s latest push “does not reassert Congress’ powers.”
“There are Democrats in this chamber who are using the arrest of Nicolás Maduro not to advance American interests, but to attack President Trump,” Barrasso said.
KAINE VOWS NEW WAR POWERS FIGHTS AFTER SENATE BLOCKS TRUMP VENEZUELA CHECK
And building off Barrasso’s sentiment was a broader argument from several Republicans, and top officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who charged that Kaine’s push was moot given that there were no boots on the ground in Venezuela and that the administration has no future plans for military action.
Republicans who may have been on the verge of supporting Kaine’s push argued that without a plan to beat an almost guaranteed veto from Trump, it was nothing more than a messaging tactic.
“It’s a messaging exercise, and I think that you’d have more credibility if, at least, you had some elements, like boots on the ground to justify it,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital.
“I mean, if somebody’s serious about getting something done, if you sit down with me and say, ‘I can get the 67 votes, so I have a veto-proof majority, and this is how I’m going to do it,’ that impresses me,” he continued.
Dating back to Trump’s first term in office, Kaine has either introduced or supported seven war powers resolutions. Each of those pushes — four of which he led — were all directed toward reining in Trump’s military authority and reasserting Congress’ oversight role.
However, he rejected two of three Republican-led war powers pushes during Biden’s presidency, and notably, voted for the same procedural move used to kill his own Venezuela resolution to nix another from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2024.
Cruz’s war powers resolution sought to curb Biden’s war authority as he pushed for the creation of a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza to deliver aid to the country.
KEY REPUBLICANS FLIP, KILL EFFORT TO RESTRAIN TRUMP’S POLICING POWER OVER VENEZUELA
Kaine argued there was a stark difference between humanitarian missions and military action in explaining his vote against Cruz’s resolution.
“That was because building a humanitarian pier is not hostilities, right? If that’s hostilities, the U.S. going to do tsunami relief is hostilities,” Kaine said.
“But you know what we’re doing in Venezuela is hostilities,” he continued. “It’s not building a pier for humanitarian aid. So, that was why I said the definition of hostility should not apply to humanitarian acts, OK? And I firmly believe that, and I’d vote for that under presidents of either party.”
A spokesperson for Kaine told Fox News Digital that there was a stark contrast between the lawmaker’s pushes during the Obama, Biden and Trump administrations. For example, Kaine pushed back against Obama’s proposed use of military force in Syria, a move that forced the then-president to come to Congress for approval.
And during the Biden administration, Kaine supported a war powers resolution regarding the use of military force in Niger, but did not file resolutions against Biden’s “strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen because they were attacking American ships and a President always has the ability to engage in self-defense without congressional authorization.”
“Since Kaine was sworn into the Senate in 2013, he has been a leading voice on the need for Congress to have a say on matters of war and peace — regardless of whoever is in the White House,” the spokesperson said.
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Still, Republicans countered that Kaine’s own war powers resolution was similarly void because there were no active or planned hostilities in the region.
“It’s pretty clear, war powers only applies if you’ve got boots on the ground,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital. “We don’t have boots on the ground in those locations that he’s talking about. And so I’m not sure what the reasoning is, but it appears to me to be unnecessary, and it certainly does not deserve to be privileged.”
Kaine has no intention of relenting on his war powers pursuit while Trump is in office and noted last week that he would file resolution after resolution to take a hammer to the cracks forming in the GOP’s mostly unified resistance against questioning the president’s war authorities.
That decision has not surprised many Republicans.
“I mean, he’s a Democrat, so he’s going to try and do messaging,” Tillis said. “I understand that — we do the same stuff.”