President Trump's relentless pressure campaign has succeeded in swaying the votes of two Republican senators who had initially supported blocking US military action against Venezuela. Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young, both from traditionally conservative states, had voted to advance a war powers resolution last week but later reversed their stance after intense lobbying from the White House.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul, aimed to direct President Trump to terminate US military hostilities in Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by Congress. However, it ultimately failed in a narrow vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote against it.
According to sources, the White House had taken extraordinary measures to pressure the senators into changing their votes. Hawley reportedly received assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Trump would not deploy ground troops in Venezuela, while Young's intentions remained unclear until the last minute.
Critics of the war on Venezuela say that while they may have won a limited victory, it is also a significant defeat for democratic institutions and the rule of law. "The administration's bullying tactics demonstrate its disdain for Congress and its disregard for the Constitution," said Cavan Kharrazian, a senior adviser at Demand Progress.
Trump's aggressive behavior has raised concerns about his commitment to democratic norms and his willingness to disregard constitutional limits on executive power. As one critic noted, "Congress's war powers aren't supposed to rest on trust, they rest on law." The Intercept will continue to hold Trump accountable for his actions and fight to protect the principles of democracy in the face of authoritarianism.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul, aimed to direct President Trump to terminate US military hostilities in Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by Congress. However, it ultimately failed in a narrow vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote against it.
According to sources, the White House had taken extraordinary measures to pressure the senators into changing their votes. Hawley reportedly received assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Trump would not deploy ground troops in Venezuela, while Young's intentions remained unclear until the last minute.
Critics of the war on Venezuela say that while they may have won a limited victory, it is also a significant defeat for democratic institutions and the rule of law. "The administration's bullying tactics demonstrate its disdain for Congress and its disregard for the Constitution," said Cavan Kharrazian, a senior adviser at Demand Progress.
Trump's aggressive behavior has raised concerns about his commitment to democratic norms and his willingness to disregard constitutional limits on executive power. As one critic noted, "Congress's war powers aren't supposed to rest on trust, they rest on law." The Intercept will continue to hold Trump accountable for his actions and fight to protect the principles of democracy in the face of authoritarianism.
so these 2 Republican senators just fold under pressure from the White House... Josh Hawley and Todd Young, what's the deal with those guys? One minute they're all like "let's block war", next minute they're "nope, we got your back, Trump". 
it's not like they were under threat of arrest or anything. And what's with Marco Rubio trying to sweet-talk them into changing their votes? Is that how you run a foreign policy? 
He thinks he's above the law right?? Newsflash: just 'cause you're Prez doesn't mean u can just bully ppl into doin what u want! Like, Josh and Todd changed their minds after gettin all cozy with the White House? That's not democracy, that's more like authoritarianism 101 
. And Cavan Kharrazian is totes right, Trump's behavior is super sketchy and it's a major blow to Congress & the rule of law 
. And I totally get why people would be worried about Trump's commitment to democratic norms and his willingness to disregard constitutional limits on executive power. It feels like we're seeing some pretty questionable behavior from the White House.
. Are we seeing a pattern of aggressive behavior from Trump that's eroding trust in institutions and the rule of law? If so, that's got serious implications for our democracy.
I'm really disappointed in what just happened with those 2 senators 
. It's not about being a strong leader or anything, it's about respecting the law and our institutions 
. And what really gets me is that we're supposed to trust our senators to make good decisions because of some vague promise from the Secretary of State? No way 
.
what's next, sending troops to Colombia? And btw, did you know that the Intercept is "fighting" against Trump's authoritarianism but I bet they'll just end up being silenced too 
this whole thing is super sketchy 
we need to stay vigilant and hold ppl accountable for their actions 
can't wait for The Intercept to keep Trump in check 
can't believe those 2 senators just caved 
. Newsflash: Congress isn't supposed to be Trump's personal cheerleading squad 
! We need checks and balances, not a dictator in the White House 
. Can we please keep our democracy intact? 
.
. But it's unsettling to see how easily some politicians can be swayed by the pressure from the other side. It just goes to show that we need more transparency, more accountability, and more civic engagement if we want to preserve our democracy