More GOP senators likely to defect from Trump over military action in Venezuela, Sen. Tim Kaine predicts
In a recent interview, Senator Tim Kaine said he expects more Republican colleagues to side with him and help block President Trump’s plans to launch a military offensive in Venezuela if the situation keeps heating up. The Virginia Democrat has twice tried to push a War Powers Act resolution to stop U.S. forces from acting against Venezuela without congressional consent, and he remains optimistic that a new vote could win the backing he needs if the president escalates further.
When asked about this, Kaine told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, “I do believe the numbers will change. I, along with others, filed a resolution, no war in Venezuela or against Venezuela without congressional approval. It failed.” He added that the stakes have risen even more now that Trump has threatened to close Venezuelan airspace and that the military has begun amassing assets around the country.
Kaine has pledged to team up with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Rand Paul, and Senator Adam Schiff to introduce a War Powers Act resolution next only if U.S. troops take a combat role. The 1973 law limits a president’s ability to deploy forces abroad without Congress’s approval and allows lawmakers to adopt concurrent resolutions to halt specific actions.
The Virginia Democrat also believes that the recent fallout over Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s conduct in a recent airstrike will help him garner more support. Hegseth has faced criticism for allegedly ordering a second strike on a drug‑trafficking vessel on September 2, after the first attack left survivors clinging to the wreckage. A Washington Post story says that Hegseth gave verbal orders to “kill everyone.” The Secretary has publicly refuted the claim, calling it “fake news” that “discredits our brave warriors.” But Kaine argues the report raises serious war‑crime concerns, stating, “If that reporting is true, it’s a clear violation of the Department of Defense’s own laws of war, as well as international laws.” He further warned that any such order would cross the threshold into war‑crimes.
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have begun inquiries into the Trump administration’s Venezuelan policy, which has so far included dozens of strikes on suspected drug‑trafficking vessels, a $50‑million bounty on President Nicolás Maduro, and a deployment of 70 aircraft, nine carrier air‑wings, and 11 ships in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear.
Senator Mark Kelly also weighed in on the issue. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Kelly said, “I’m really troubled about this. There is no organization more professional than Navy SEALs. And they should be revered. That’s why I say I hope what I have heard about this strike is not accurate.”
Kaine remains confident that, with growing public scrutiny and a new wave of information, more GOP members will join him in attempting to keep U.S. forces from engaging in an unapproved military action against Venezuela.
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