The conservative National Review is urging Donald Trump to pump the brakes on a possible invasion of Venezuela.
In an opinion piece from the editors published Tuesday, they wrote that they agree that the regime of Nicolás Maduro needs to be ended — but it has to be done the right way and with the support of American voters and Congress.
As it stands, Trump has been making the case that an invasion of Venezuela is necessary because of the government’s involvement in the drug trade and over accusations of stealing the last election.
Those are all valid points, the editors wrote before adding, “The end of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, and its replacement by a democratically elected alternative, would be an unambiguous boon to the United States.”
But they cautioned the saber-rattling president to be cautious before creating a new foreign entanglement.
“While the Trump administration’s current anti-Maduro policy is highly threatening to the regime, at the same time it is vague and contradictory,” they wrote before recommending, “If President Trump intends to use military force to topple Maduro, or coerce him into exile, he should go to Congress to ask for an authorization for the use of military force.”
The editors said a major hurdle that the president must clear is getting buy-in not only from Congress but also from voters.
“He should do this not only because such a request would place the decision to declare war, in both the spirit and the letter of our Constitution, where it belongs — Congress — but because this administration has made no sustained effort to explain to the American people why Venezuela’s current government warrants removal at the cost of American treasure and, very possibly, American lives,” they explained.
Stating they are “open” to arguments for an invasion, they added, “None of these arguments excuse the president from his duty to fully explain to the American people the reason for his actions, the possible alternatives and why they are insufficient, and his plan to see it all through to the end.”
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