Schumer Warns Trump’s Venezuela Actions Risk Unauthorized Military Conflict

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump’s recent actions regarding Venezuela, warning that they are pushing the United States closer to a foreign military conflict without congressional approval. Schumer said the president’s approach violates the Constitution’s allocation of war-declaring powers, which reside solely with Congress.

In a statement, Schumer said, “President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war.” He emphasized that Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Venezuela and cautioned against entering another overseas conflict that could cost American lives and resources.

Schumer called for bipartisan efforts in Congress to reassert legislative authority over decisions to engage in war, urging lawmakers to “come together to return the power to declare war back to the people.”

The comments followed President Trump’s recent social media post declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” a message directed at airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers. This declaration came shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration issued warnings about a “worsening security situation” in the region.

During a Thanksgiving address to U.S. service members, Trump stated that the U.S. would soon begin efforts to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers by land. He highlighted the threat posed by drug traffickers, who he said are responsible for killing “hundreds of thousands of people a year” in the United States through the drugs they smuggle.

Trump has not ruled out the possibility of deploying American troops into Venezuela, indicating on November 17 that such an option remains under consideration.

The escalating U.S. posture toward Venezuela has also drawn attention from other lawmakers and officials, with some Senate Republicans blocking bipartisan efforts to halt military actions and strikes on drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended recent strikes on alleged drug boats in the region.

Schumer’s warning underscores ongoing tensions over the executive branch’s authority to engage in military operations without explicit congressional consent, a debate that has intensified amid the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela and the Caribbean.