Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) was put on the spot Tuesday during an appearance on CNN when, after defending the Trump administration’s unprecedented attack and takeover of Venezuela, he was made to listen to his own past remarks about Congress holding the sole authority to declare war.
“One last thing I want to play for you: it’s you, you were here on Dec. 10 talking about the Venezuelan boat strikes,” CNN’s Audie Cornish said, pulling up a clip of Zinke’s appearance on the network last month.
“The president has powers but he doesn’t have unlimited power,” Zinke is heard saying in the clip. “When it comes to using force against another country, this is why we have Article I and Article II; he has to present a case to the Congress, Congress is the only body that can declare war.”
As the clip ended, Zinke defiantly declared that he still stood by his position that the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela was “not a declared war.”
“What is it?” Cornish asked.
“This is a law enforcement action removing a dictator,” Zinke argued. “This president is no doubt using Article I very aggressively, but Congress is going to have to come in and approve the funding because rebuilding… I don’t think the oil companies are going to do it without some support.”
Zinke’s use of the word “support” caught Cornish’s attention, who followed up by asking Zinke what “support” was “code for.”
“You have to have protection!” Zinke responded.
“Is that code for people?” Cornish asked.
“Well, people and resources,” Zinke admitted.
Zinke was then asked by the panel whether he, as a member of several appropriations committees that approve federal government funding, intended on asking Trump to come before Congress and request war powers. Zinke dodged the question, and instead launched a spiel about Trump’s targeting of government waste, fraud and abuse.
Cornish didn’t let up, however, and asked Zinke, bluntly, whether he intended on asking Trump to come before Congress.
“I need you to translate for my mom,” Cornish said. “Are you going to ask the administration to come to Congress for war powers?”
“Uhh… I think the administration has to ask and request funding,” Zinke responded.
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