Schumer Accuses Trump of Pushing U.S. Toward ‘Unauthorized War’ with Venezuela

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued a blistering statement Sunday accusing President Donald Trump of recklessly dragging the United States toward a new “costly foreign war” with Venezuela without congressional approval, marking the sharpest Democratic rebuke yet of the administration’s rapidly escalating actions against Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

“President Trump’s reckless actions toward Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war,” Schumer declared. “Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution, and there is zero authorization for the use of military force against Venezuela. This is not just unconstitutional – it’s dangerous.”

The explosive accusation comes just 24 hours after President Trump posted a dramatic warning on Truth Social and X declaring Venezuelan airspace “officially CLOSED” to all pilots, airlines, and human traffickers, citing GPS jamming, military maneuvers, and alleged drug-smuggling routes used by Maduro’s inner circle. The Federal Aviation Administration quickly followed with a rare advisory urging U.S. carriers to avoid Venezuelan airspace entirely, prompting American Airlines, Delta, and United to suspend all flights to Caracas indefinitely.

Behind the scenes, multiple sources confirm the Pentagon has surged naval assets – including the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and additional destroyers – into the southern Caribbean under the banner of counter-narcotics operations. Defense officials describe the deployment as the largest show of force in the region since the 1989 Panama invasion.

Schumer demanded an immediate classified briefing from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that the White House appears to be “laying the groundwork for military confrontation” under the pretext of fighting the so-called “Cartel de los Soles” – a Venezuelan military-linked trafficking network the Trump administration designated a foreign terrorist organization last week.

“This is not about drugs or migration. This is about regime change without a vote in Congress,” Schumer charged. “The American people are tired of endless wars launched by presidents who think they’re above the Constitution.”

The White House fired back almost instantly. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Schumer’s statement “pathetic obstructionism from a defeated party” and insisted the president is “100% within his Article II authority to protect American skies and stop narco-terrorists who flood our country with fentanyl and illegal migrants.”

Venezuela’s response was swift and furious. Foreign Minister Yván Gil labeled Trump’s airspace declaration “an act of war” and “illegal aggression against international aviation.” Caracas retaliated by revoking landing rights for all U.S. carriers and halting cooperation on deportation flights – a move that could strand thousands of Venezuelan migrants facing expulsion under Trump’s new hardline immigration policies.

Maduro went on state television Sunday night flanked by military generals, accusing the United States of plotting an invasion “like they did in Iraq and Libya.” Russia and Iran both issued statements condemning the U.S. actions, while Brazil and Colombia called for emergency talks.

Even some Republicans expressed unease. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) posted on X: “I support President Trump 100%, but Congress votes on war – period.” Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Roger Wicker (R-MS) told reporters he has requested a closed-door briefing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to understand exactly what the endgame is here.”

The confrontation marks a dramatic escalation of a crisis that has simmered since Trump returned to office. In his first term, Trump openly mused about military options against Maduro; now, with a loyal national security team and a Republican-controlled Congress, critics fear those options are moving from rhetoric to reality.

As of Sunday night, no shots have been fired, and the White House insists it seeks a “peaceful resolution.” But with U.S. warships steaming toward Venezuelan waters, American airlines grounded, and both sides trading threats of retaliation, Washington finds itself on the brink of its first major foreign policy showdown of the second Trump era.

The question now gripping Capitol Hill and beyond: Will Congress step in to restrain the president – or will the United States find itself in another unauthorized war in Latin America?