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"It looks weak": Dems fume at their party's response to Maduro capture
Axios ^ | 01.04.26

Posted on 01/05/2026 5:24:38 AM PST by Milagros

Some Democrats are grumbling at their party's largely oppositional stance to President Trump's raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying privately that their colleagues should be celebrating.

Why it matters: These lawmakers argue it could be a major political miscalculation if the party fails to applaud the downfall of a brutal dictator with sufficient volume, even given grave concerns about the operation's legality and longer-term ramifications.

Party leaders have raged at Trump for bypassing Congress and leaving them in the dark about the operation to capture Maduro, which involved striking several military targets in Venezuela's capital city. And many rank-and-file lawmakers, buoyed by polling that shows Americans largely oppose a protracted intervention in Venezuela, have also seized on Trump's comments that the U.S. will temporarily "run" the country. Some centrists and battleground-district members — who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity to offer candid criticisms of their party's messaging — have a different view. What we're hearing: One swing-district House Democrat told Axios in a text message on Saturday, "Nuance is dead in politics."

"Maduro is bad, glad he is gone ... You can't have it both ways," the lawmaker said, venting that "everything Trump touches must be bad according to the base." Another vulnerable House Democrat told Axios in a phone interview: "As Democrats we can't just condemn what happened ... I wish the Democratic Party would be a little bit more measured on this." "I think it looks weak," a third centrist House Democrat said. "If you don't acknowledge when there is a win for our country, then you lose all credibility."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: carteldemocraps; chrisvanhollen; commieshasthesads; democrathypocrisy; democrats; democratshasthesads; itisweak; itlooksweak; kamalaharris; maduro; mtg; notawar; orangeman47; specialmilitaryop; tdsreactionaries; vanonatree; venezuela
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Confronted on CNN about the Axios piece, Chris Van Hollen:

"That is why you have so many Republicans...including MTG..."

Hey, Van Hollen. MTG is already out. She is a has been.

1 posted on 01/05/2026 5:24:38 AM PST by Milagros
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To: Milagros

Brandon offered reward caysh. Go git it.


2 posted on 01/05/2026 5:28:32 AM PST by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: Libloather

Autopen is controlled by dirty-laptop boy...


3 posted on 01/05/2026 5:29:57 AM PST by Milagros
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To: Milagros; P-Marlowe

The USA has run just about every country we’ve ever intervened in:

Cuba, Philipines, Domincan Republic, Japan, Germany, S. Korea, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Iraq...

It’s always been heavy usa hand or long term governance. This isn’t new at all. It isn’t unique to Trump.


4 posted on 01/05/2026 5:30:18 AM PST by xzins (Retired US Army chaplain. Support our troops by praying for their victory. )
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To: xzins

Right


5 posted on 01/05/2026 5:30:58 AM PST by Milagros
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To: Milagros

——President Trump’s raid——

Aahhh...... correctness in the media.

The raid was a law enforcement action rather than an act of war. The executive is not required to present proposed actions involving law enforcement to the leaking sieve that is the Congress.

For the repeated record: Maduro was arrested in Venezuela by agents of the American Drug Enforcement Agency


6 posted on 01/05/2026 5:35:17 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: bert

Correct


7 posted on 01/05/2026 5:37:48 AM PST by Milagros
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To: Milagros

Fact is, democrats are all dirty and take cartel cash.

This is why they look weak.

Because they are corrupt and weak.


8 posted on 01/05/2026 5:38:50 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: Milagros
20260104-124045
9 posted on 01/05/2026 5:39:08 AM PST by V_TWIN (America........so great even the people that hate it won't leave)
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To: Milagros
Party leaders have raged at Trump for bypassing Congress

There are several lengthy lists/posts on the 'net showing all the military action waged by former presidents (going back to Lincoln), including Klinton and O'Bummer. All without Kongress' approval.

Mebbe those morons should read FR?

10 posted on 01/05/2026 5:44:53 AM PST by LouAvul (The Old Testament is historical, but we are to only follow the New Testament. )
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To: TheThirdRuffian

There is terrible action afoot in Minnesota that is going to wreck the Democrat party. The patsy Somalis are going to squeal to high heaven revealing a path that goes all the way to the highest echelons of the corrupt DNC.

The arrest of Maduro is a further link in the total chain. The Maduro testimony is going to provide tons of incriminating evidence

There is a code red alert to many many Democrats who are now very fearful and can’t decide what to do. Stay and face charges or get the hell out of Dodge and protect their wealth stored off shore


11 posted on 01/05/2026 5:47:28 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: Milagros

Let’s put it more simply. The suggestion is that instead of insisting that the issue is always the revolution, Democrats should engage in taqiyya and actg as if they are happy Sr. y Sra. Maduro are in American custody.


12 posted on 01/05/2026 5:50:02 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Libloather

This was always crap as there was no way anyone could ever collect. It was a joke.


13 posted on 01/05/2026 5:50:38 AM PST by 3RIVRS
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To: Milagros

The Democrats are pissed. President Trump just screwed up their drug distribution industry in America. Their boy Maduro is going to prison. Screw the Democrats. No drugs available for Americans to commit suicide is the greatest threat to the Demockracins’ “Demockracy”. What the hell does the new Miami bimbo mayor have to do with Venezuela? The bimbo needs to stay in her own lane. Miami is Americas biggest sewer. If she wants to fix something, she should fix Miami. Venezuela is none of her damn business. Stupid skank.


14 posted on 01/05/2026 5:51:47 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Kilmar the Abrego Kid has kicked Uncle Sam's ass with the help of his Judgette Skanks gang. )
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To: Libloather

I wonder if the reward will be claimed by name, or anonymously under something mysterious like “Orangeman 47”


15 posted on 01/05/2026 5:52:29 AM PST by Bernard ("Nothing is as expensive as that which the government provides for free." - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Milagros

Dems were all for it when Bye Done was in the WH! This change of heart (and I say heart loosely) is typical liberal word salad.


16 posted on 01/05/2026 5:52:32 AM PST by albie
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To: Milagros

Democrats fuming about Democrats looking weak makes Democrats look weak.


17 posted on 01/05/2026 5:53:24 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Bernard

I thought the President said no one can claim the reward.


18 posted on 01/05/2026 5:54:56 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: Milagros
...if the party fails to applaud the downfall of a brutal dictator with sufficient volume...

Sufficient volume? Of what, scorn?

Face it, your dudes were condemning the arrest, loudly protesting against it as illegal, saying you'll use it to impeach Trump (what else is new?) and acting like Maduro's own cheerleading squad.

19 posted on 01/05/2026 5:58:32 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: Milagros

It looks weak because you are weak. You stand up for evil and injustice, but rage against what is right. Do us all a favor and jump off a cliff.


20 posted on 01/05/2026 6:01:06 AM PST by Trump_Triumphant (“They recognized Him in the breaking of the Bread”.)
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