Sen. Chris Murphy denounced the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela, saying that the existence of "evil, brutal dictators" does not justify presidential invasions. He criticized Sen. Tom Cotton's comments suggesting an invasion could "go really well," and warned against repeating past mistakes like Iraq. President Trump announced a "large-scale strike" on Caracas and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, saying the U.S. would run Venezuela until a transition. Sen. Marco Rubio countered that the situation is distinct from Middle East conflicts and emphasized the Western Hemisphere context.
Murphy Condemns U.S. Operation in Venezuela: 'Dictatorship Doesn't Justify Invasion'
Murphy rips Venezuela operation: ‘There are evil, brutal dictators all over the world’
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sharply criticized the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela, arguing that the presence of "evil, brutal dictators" worldwide does not give a U.S. president the right to launch an invasion.
Murphy's Remarks
Speaking with CNN's Dana Bash on State of the Union, Murphy warned against repeating the mistakes of past interventions. He said,
"Listen, there are evil, brutal dictators all over the world. That does not give the American president the right to invade those countries, in large part because we have seen how this script plays out."
Murphy cited an interview with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and said Cotton's remarks suggested an invasion of Venezuela "may be part of the president's plan" and that it "is going to go really well." Murphy called attention to what he described as a recurring pattern of warmongering voices who, he said, have pushed the U.S. into costly conflicts under the pretext of removing a bad leader.
The U.S. Operation And Aftermath
On Saturday, President Trump announced that U.S. forces conducted a "large-scale strike" on Caracas and that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured during the operation. The president also said the United States would "run" Venezuela until a transition could be organized following Maduro's removal.
Comparisons And Debate
The operation prompted immediate comparisons to the Iraq War, a conflict many now view as a strategic mistake. Those parallels have fueled debate in Washington about interventionism, oversight, and long-term consequences for the region.
On CBS News' Face the Nation, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) rejected direct comparisons to Middle East conflicts, arguing that Venezuela differs in geography and strategic context. "The whole foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, everything is Afghanistan. This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere," Rubio said.
Responses Sought
The Hill has reached out to Sen. Cotton's office and the White House for comment on both the operation and Cotton's reported remarks.
Context: The episode has intensified scrutiny of executive war powers and raised questions about U.S. strategy, regional stability, and humanitarian risks resulting from foreign interventions.
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