Democrats condemn Trump's Venezuela strike, call it 'unconstitutional' and 'impeachable'
Many Americans woke up to a sick sense of deja vu. Under the guise of liberty, an administration of warmongers has lied to justify an invasion and is dragging us into an illegal, endless war so they can extract resources and expand their wealth.
— Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (@repdeliaramirez) January 3, 2026
We must pass Congresswoman Ilhan… pic.twitter.com/VY7E1fDXmd
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
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
President Trump’s unauthorized military action in Venezuela is unconstitutional, dangerous, and an impeachable abuse of power. Congress alone has the authority to declare war and Trump is once again ignoring the law to serve his own interests.
— Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) January 3, 2026
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/vj0OSmEt6i
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
Let’s be clear, invading and running another country without a congressional declaration of war is an impeachable offense. Whether it makes sense to pursue impeachment as the best strategy to end this lawlessness is a tactical judgment that our Caucus needs to seriously… https://t.co/wl3D0IGOfb
— April McClain Delaney (@April4Congress) January 3, 2026
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.
