The liberal media is always hunting around for a scandal to harass President Trump.
Anti-Trump journalists latched onto a new line of attack.
And Donald Trump got put on the spot after this shocking arrest.
As West Wing Daily reports:
Utah Senator Mike Lee is one of the strongest American First conservatives in the United States Senate.
Lee is also the most renowned constitutional scholar in Congress.
That’s why Lee turned heads with a real-time reaction to the bombing campaign to provide air cover for special forces to assist with Maduro’s arrest.
Lee asked how the administration planned to justify launching a military operation on land in a foreign country without Congress either holding a vote to declare war or authorize the use of force.
“I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force,” Lee posted on X.
I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force https://t.co/f5ackJn5Mi
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 3, 2026
Lee responded to his post shortly thereafter to update his followers that he spoke to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and received a satisfactory answer.
Rubio explained to Lee that this was a law enforcement operation where the special forces were providing air cover for FBI agents to arrest Maduro in accordance with a warrant charging Maduro with narco-terrorism crimes.
Lee wrote:
Just got off the phone with @SecRubio
He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant
This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack.
Americans, by and large, supported a quick, surgical operation to arrest Maduro.
The administration charged Maduro with conspiring with a terrorist gang to flood America with drugs and illegal aliens.
However, even warmonger RINOs like South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham worried about the administration’s plan for what came next.
“Most Americans want to know what’s going to happen next. I want to know what’s going to happen next. Is it the policy to take Maduro down? It should be, if it’s not. And if he goes, what’s going to happen next? I’d like a better answer as to what happens when Maduro goes,” Graham told reporters after a briefing on the administration’s Venezuela policy by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Rubio.
President Trump said America will now “run” Venezuela.
Americans are anxiously awaiting to see what that means.
