WH slams Chris Murphy over claim Nicolas Maduro’s arrest 'has nothing to do with American security'

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House on Sunday, January 4, slammed Senator Chris Murphy for comments claiming that the US military operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro “has nothing to do with American security.”

Maduro was captured during an early-morning US military operation earlier this week. His arrest followed a dramatic raid conducted by US special operations forces, who apprehended him at what officials described as a heavily fortified residence in Venezuela.

White House calls Chris Murphy a 'buffoon'

In a post on X on Sunday, Chris Murphy argued that Venezuela does not pose a threat to the United States and accused President Donald Trump of using foreign policy to benefit oil companies and his “Wall Street friends.”

Murphy wrote, alongside a video of a CNN interview, “The invasion of Venezuela has nothing to do with American security. Venezuela is not a security threat to the US. This is about making Trump’s oil industry and Wall Street friends rich. Trump’s foreign policy, the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela. is fundamentally corrupt.”

Following the post, the White House’s Rapid Response account pushed back and accused Murphy of ignoring the impact of crime on Americans. The account wrote, “You are a buffoon, Chris. Tell that to the families of the innocent Americans brutally murdered by the gang members the regime imported here, or the d**gs they trafficked here. You’re sick.”

During an appearance on 'Fox & Friends Weekend,' Trump described Maduro’s arrest as swift and decisive. The president said, “He got bum rushed so fast,” explaining that the operation had been planned days in advance. 

“He was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house. It had steel doors. It had what they call a safety space, where it’s solid steel all around,” Trump added. The president said that although US forces were prepared to breach reinforced areas using heavy equipment, Maduro was arrested before reaching the secure room.

“He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that,” Trump said.

House Democrats praise Trump for capturing Nicolas Maduro

Many House Democrats publicly reacted on Sunday to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following an operation ordered by President Donald Trump.

They expressed support for the outcome, praising the removal of a long-time authoritarian leader. At the same time, some raised concerns about how the operation was carried out and its potential legal implications.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Maduro a dictator and hailed the capture as “welcome news,” especially for residents who had fled his “violent, lawless, and disastrous rule.”

She wrote on X that Venezuelans “deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law,” expressing hope that the event could open a path toward “true democracy and liberation.” 

However, the Democratic lawmaker cautioned, “However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,” adding that the development should allow for the seating of Venezuela’s “true, democratically elected president, Edmundo Gonzalez.”

Similarly, Representative Darren Soto said, “Capturing the murderous dictator Maduro is a major step” toward a free Venezuela, adding that he hoped to see Gonzalez installed “as the rightful new president.”

 Representative Jared Moskowitz said Maduro’s rule was marked by oppression, the imprisonment of political opponents, and stolen elections. He also thanked the US military personnel involved in the operation for their “courage and professionalism.”