The United States executed a bold, surgical operation inside Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro, a man long accused of narco-terrorism and crushing his own people. For too long the Maduro regime operated with impunity while fentanyl and cartel poison flowed into our towns; this administration finally acted where words had failed. Americans should be relieved that U.S. forces carried out a precise mission to neutralize a genuine threat rather than wait for another catastrophe at home.
Predictably, establishment Democrats rushed to lecture from the safety of their soundstages while Republican lawmakers praised the professionalism and bravery of our service members. Leaders like Marco Rubio have defended this as a narrowly tailored law-enforcement and national-security action, emphasizing the operational security that made success possible. Conservatives who care about law and order should be clear-eyed: when our enemies hide behind tyrants and cartels, decisive action is necessary to protect American lives.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer fell in line with the usual Washington reflex, denouncing the raid as reckless and unlawful, as if appeasing tyrants from the sidelines protects anyone. On Fox Report Weekend, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis rightly called out that kind of hand-wringing as politically convenient and morally hollow — absolutely wrong when it defends a butcher who exports drug death into our communities. While Democrats posture about process, conservative patriots see the human cost of inaction and the duty to act when American security is at stake.
The political theater from Schumer rings particularly hollow given his past complaints about presidents who fail to confront foreign strongmen; hypocrisy is the left’s favorite pastime. For years Democrats demanded action in Venezuela when it suited the narrative, and now they pretend to discover constitutional virtue only after the mission succeeded. Working Americans are tired of these double standards — if you oppose results simply because of the man who ordered them, you’re choosing politics over safety.
Yes, Congress should be involved in big decisions, and oversight matters; but second-guessing brave troops while enemies celebrate is contemptible. Lawmakers on both sides are hashing out war powers and oversight now, and conservatives must insist on accountability that protects troops and preserves the ability to strike real threats when the intel is time-sensitive. Our message should be simple: support the mission, scrutinize the plan for what comes next, and be relentless about bringing stability to the hemisphere so American families don’t pay the price.
This moment calls for unity behind American strength and common-sense foreign policy, not partisan virtue signaling that comforts dictators and endangers citizens. Rep. Malliotakis and other patriots who stand with our military deserve praise for putting country before caucus politics, and conservative Americans must rally to ensure the victory is sealed — for the Venezuelan people and for our own communities. If Washington won’t stop playing games, voters will; and hardworking Americans remember who stands for safety, sovereignty, and the rule of law.
