Byron York: Venezuela operation ‘in line with the previous presidents’
Chief political correspondent Byron York said President Trump’s removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was consistent with how previous presidents have conducted foreign policy, arguing such actions have often been taken without prior congressional approval. U.S. forces reportedly attacked Caracas in Operation Absolute Resolve, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores; the elite Delta Force unit completed the mission in about two hours with no U.S. fatalities and six wounded. The operation occurred on the 36th anniversary of the U.S. raid that led to Panama’s Manuel Noriega’s capture. York defended a military response by pointing to Venezuela’s alleged role in large migrant flows and drug trafficking, while many Democrats criticized the strike and said congress should have been consulted. A senior Venezuelan official told the New York Times the Venezuelan death toll had risen to about 80, including civilians, and U.S. officials said much of Maduro’s security detail-reported to be heavily influenced by Cuban personnel-was killed. Political reactions cited in the reporting included praise from some Republicans and warnings of broader regional consequences.
Byron York says Venezuela operation was ‘in line with the previous presidents’
Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York said President Donald Trump’s extraction of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro was similar to how preceding presidents “have done foreign policy.”
U.S. troops attacked Caracas, Venezuela, and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday. York asserted Trump’s authority on the matter while on Fox News’s Fox Report with Jon Scott on Sunday.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of opposition to this,” York said. “A lot of Democrats are saying this was a bad idea, or it should’ve been done in consultation with Congress. The fact is presidents of both parties have done this kind of stuff for many, many years without seeking the permission of Congress beforehand, and maybe just barely telling them afterwards.”
“What the president did is entirely in line with what previous presidents have done in foreign policy,” York added.
Maduro’s capture happened on the 36th anniversary of the day the U.S. military abducted the acting leader of Panama, military strongman General Manuel Noriega. At the time, U.S. troops remained in Panama for a week before detaining Noriega.
Meanwhile, the Army’s most elite unit, Delta Force, completed its mission on Saturday in two hours. No U.S. military members were killed during the operation, but six were injured.
TRUMP SAYS US ‘IN CHARGE’ OF VENEZUELA, NEW LEADER IS ‘COOPERATING’
York explained that a military response was warranted for Venezuela because the country is accused of “sending hundreds of thousands of migrants to the United States or engaging in drug trafficking that hurts the United States.”
A senior Venezuelan official told the New York Times on Sunday that the death toll for Operation Absolute Resolve had increased to 80 Venezuelans, including civilians. That does not include the large part of Maduro’s security team that was also killed, as this security team, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was “entirely controlled by Cubans” as Maduro “had Cuban bodyguards.”
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
