Senior Democrat, bucking party’s knee-jerking reaction, praises Trump’s capture of ‘illegitimate’ Maduro
January 3, 2026 | Adam Pack
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a South Florida Democrat with a sizable Venezuelan population in her district, bucked her party Saturday to praise President Donald Trump’s capture of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Wasserman Schultz said the U.S. military operation removing Maduro from power is “welcome news” for the millions of Venezuelans living in exile, though she argued Congress should have been informed. Conversely, a chorus of congressional Democrats immediately slammed the successful military operation as illegal and contrary to American interests.
“The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela’s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule,” Wasserman Schultz wrote on X Saturday morning.
The South Florida Democrat, who notably chaired the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2011 to 2016, also called for a “liberated Venezuela” featuring democratic rule, arguing “cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows.”
“This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González,” Wasserman Schultz continued.
Democratic Florida Rep. Darren Soto, who represents a district south of Orlando, similarly lauded the operation as a “major step towards a #VenezuelaLibre,” referring to a “Free Venezuela” in a Saturday X post. However, Soto also chided the president for failing to seek congressional approval, which the Trump administration has argued was not necessary.
more
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/03/senior-democrat-bucking-partys-knee-jerking-reaction-praises-trumps-capture-of-illegitimate-maduro-1613665/
