{"id":2529471,"date":"2026-01-04T08:34:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senior-dem-breaks-ranks-to-praise-trumps-capture-of-illegitimate-socialist-dictator-maduro\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T08:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:35:35","slug":"senior-dem-breaks-ranks-to-praise-trumps-capture-of-illegitimate-socialist-dictator-maduro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senior-dem-breaks-ranks-to-praise-trumps-capture-of-illegitimate-socialist-dictator-maduro\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Dem Breaks Ranks to Praise Trump&#8217;s Capture of &#8216;Illegitimate&#8217; Socialist Dictator Maduro"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenior-dem-breaks-ranks-to-praise-trumps-capture-of-illegitimate-socialist-dictator-maduro%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2529471&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz praised President Trump&#8217;s military operation that removed Nicol\u00e1s Maduro from power, calling it &#8220;welcome news&#8221; for exiled Venezuelans while saying Congress should have been informed. Rep. Darren Soto similarly welcomed the outcome as a step toward a &#8220;Free Venezuela&#8221; but faulted the governance for not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-group-of-senators-seek-to-strip-biden-of-certain-war-powers\/\" title=\"Bipartisan Group Of ...ators Seek To Strip Biden Of Certain ... ...s\">seeking congressional approval<\/a>. Many congressional Democrats, including Sens. Ruben Gallego and Adam Schiff, condemned the operation as illegal and damaging to U.S. standing, while Republicans such as Rep.Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar and Sen. Rick Scott celebrated the seizure and the prospect of U.S. justice after Maduro and his wife were indicted in the Southern District of New York.The story notes strong reactions in South Florida, home to a large Venezuelan diaspora, where lawmakers&#8217; responses were shaped by their constituents&#8217; ties to Venezuela.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>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&rsquo;s capture of socialist dictator Nicol&aacute;s Maduro.<\/p>\n<p>Wasserman Schultz said the U.S. military operation removing Maduro from power is &ldquo;welcome news&rdquo; 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.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicol&aacute;s Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela&rsquo;s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule,&rdquo; Wasserman Schultz <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepDWStweets\/status\/2007450959140565459\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote<\/a> on X Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<p>The South Florida Democrat, who notably chaired the Democratic National Committee from 2011 to 2016, also called for a &ldquo;liberated Venezuela&rdquo; featuring democratic rule, arguing &ldquo;cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/niger-heads-to-polls-in-search-of-first-democratic-transition\/\" title=\"Niger heads to polls in search of first democratic transition\">democratically elected president<\/a>, Edmundo Gonz&aacute;lez,&rdquo; Wasserman Schultz continued.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Democratic Florida Rep. Darren Soto, who represents a district south of Orlando, similarly <a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepDarrenSoto\/status\/2007418922493006284\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepDarrenSoto\/status\/2007418922493006284\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">lauded<\/a> the operation as a &ldquo;major step towards a #VenezuelaLibre,&rdquo; referring to a &ldquo;Free Venezuela&rdquo; 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.<\/p>\n<p>Other congressional Democrats, who have tried to restrict Trump&rsquo;s authority to use military force on Venezuela for months, excoriated the military operation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Second unjustified war in my life time. This war is illegal, it&rsquo;s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year,&rdquo; Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego wrote on X shortly after 3:00 a.m. Saturday. &ldquo;There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Starting a war to remove Maduro doesn&rsquo;t just continue Donald Trump&rsquo;s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America&rsquo;s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation,&rdquo; Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff, a vocal Trump critic, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenAdamSchiff\/status\/2007475455062954215\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans meanwhile disputed that the United States is at war with Venezuela, and the Trump administration has not said they are <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >weighing additional military action<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many Florida lawmakers enthusiastically backed the seizure of Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, who were indicted Saturday on federal charges in the Southern District of New York.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Maduro&rsquo;s narco-dictatorship has ENDED,&rdquo; Rep. Mar&iacute;a Elvira Salazar, who represents a South Florida district covering downtown Miami, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MaElviraSalazar\/status\/2007426919071941079\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote<\/a> on X. &ldquo;The narcoterrorist who poisoned our children, exported crime to our neighborhoods through the Tren de Aragua, and turned Venezuela into a State of terror will now face the justice of the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is peace through strength on full display,&rdquo; Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenRickScott\/status\/2007465561358209224\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">spoke<\/a> to Secretary of State Marco Rubio following the military operation, said Saturday. &ldquo;Today, America and the world are a safer place.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>South Florida is home to the largest Venezuelan diaspora within the United States. Roughly 40 percent of the residents in Doral, Florida &mdash; a city west of Miami &mdash; are of Venezuelan descent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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