New Delhi, Jan 06: US President Donald Trump, speaking in an interview to NBC News, and quoted by the BBC, said the United States was not at war with Venezuela and ruled out fresh elections in the near term.
“We’re at war with people that sell drugs,” Trump said, adding that before any vote could be held, “we have to fix the country first.” Asked who was ultimately in charge of Venezuela, Trump replied: “Me.”
The remarks have added to unease in Washington. In a rare joint statement, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who lead the Senate Judiciary Committee, said they were unhappy at being excluded from a classified briefing on Maduro’s capture, stressing that the arrest was presented as a law-enforcement operation under their committee’s oversight.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN that President Trump did not require prior congressional authorization for the operation, saying it was permitted under Article II of the US Constitution and that Congress had been properly notified.