Democrats condemn Trump's Venezuela strike, call it 'unconstitutional' and 'impeachable'

April Delaney urged caution on impeachment, acknowledging the legal stakes but stressed that Democrats must weigh its effectiveness as a strategy
PUBLISHED JAN 5, 2026
Delia Ramirez denounced Nicolas Maduro's capture as a corporate-driven invasion, accusing the administration of lying to justify war for resource extraction and urging passage of Ilhan Omar's War Powers Resolution (Getty Images)
Delia Ramirez denounced Nicolas Maduro's capture as a corporate-driven invasion, accusing the administration of lying to justify war for resource extraction and urging passage of Ilhan Omar's War Powers Resolution (Getty Images)


WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic outrage over President Donald Trump's surprise military operation in Venezuela is rapidly intensifying, with calls now escalating from condemnation to demands for impeachment.

Angered by the administration’s decision to bypass Congress before authorizing the strike that captured Nicolás Maduro, a growing bloc of lawmakers is branding the action an “impeachable offense.”

While Republicans have framed the mission as a decisive law enforcement operation against a criminal regime, Democrats argue it amounts to an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation. 

Delia Ramirez condemns capture as corporate-driven invasion

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 08: U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) speaks during a news conference on congressional oversight of the homeland security in front of the U.S. Capitol on April 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rep. Ramirez held a news conference to discuss the handling of recent wrongfully deportation cases by the Trump administration. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Rep Delia Ramirez accused the administration of lying to justify an 'illegal, endless war' to extract resources (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rep Delia Ramirez (D-IL), a member of the progressive ‘Squad’, delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, invoking past US interventions she says were fueled by corporate greed.

“Many Americans woke up to a sick sense of déjà vu,” Ramirez wrote on X. “Under the guise of liberty, an administration of warmongers has lied to justify an invasion… so they can extract resources and expand their wealth.”

Ramirez urged immediate passage of Rep Ilhan Omar's War Powers Resolution to rein in the White House and ended her statement with a blunt conclusion: “Trump must be impeached.”

Rep Dan Goldman calls capture a constitutional breach



Impeachment calls also came from outside the progressive wing. Rep Dan Goldman (D-NY), a former federal prosecutor, framed the issue as a clear constitutional breach rather than a partisan fight.

“The administration has provided no satisfactory explanation for bypassing Congress,” Goldman said. “This violation of the United States Constitution is an impeachable offense.”

Goldman challenged Republicans directly, urging them to defend congressional authority over party allegiance.

“I urge my Republican colleagues to finally join Democrats in reasserting congressional authority by holding this president accountable for this gross violation,” he added.

Democrats debate impeachment over Nicolas Maduro's capture



Other Democrats agreed on the legal stakes but were weighing the political calculus.

Rep April McClain Delaney (D-MD) said that “invading and running another country without a congressional declaration of war is an impeachable offense,” while cautioning that Democrats must “seriously deliberate” whether impeachment is the most effective way to halt what she called mounting “lawlessness.”

Rep Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who is considering a run for governor, also declined to rule out supporting impeachment when questioned by reporters.

Republicans have brushed off the uproar, insisting that the Maduro capture was a narrowly tailored law enforcement action to execute an arrest warrant, not a military operation requiring congressional war powers authorization. 

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