The Trump administration’s strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug vessels will be a failure if they do not ultimately result in toppling socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested to reporters Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has kept objectives in Venezuela unclear for months as the administration rapidly builds up forces in the Caribbean. Graham is urging the Trump administration to clarify its end game regarding Venezuela, which he argued must result in regime change.
“We’ve got 15% of the Navy pointed at this guy. If he’s still standing when this is over, this is a fatal, major mistake to our standing in the world,” Graham said Tuesday following a closed-door security briefing with Department of War (DOW) Secretary Pete Hegseth and top cabinet officials regarding the drug boat strikes.
“Every indication by President Trump is that the purpose of this operation is to shut down the Maduro regime and replace it with something less threatening to the United States,” Graham continued.
Graham’s comments come as Trump designated fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction Monday, which some observers saw as the administration escalating its pressure campaign against Maduro. The military has also continued its drug boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 95 alleged drug traffickers since they began in September.
Graham said he asked top Trump administration officials about their objective regarding Venezuela in the Senate-wide briefing.
“They say that this is counter drugs. It’d be nice if he [Maduro] left. That’s not a good answer,” Graham told reporters. “You cannot allow this man to be standing after this display of force, and I did not get a very good answer as to what happens next.”
Trump has referred to Maduro as an illegitimate leader whose “days are numbered.” He has declined to rule out a ground invasion of the country or regime change.
“On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to take on the cartels – and he has taken unprecedented action to stop the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of innocent Americans,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “All of these decisive strikes have been against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores, and the President will continue to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country.”
Graham also defended the administration’s drug boat strike campaign as “lawful.” He said he would have no issue with the Pentagon releasing footage of a controversial strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack, which Democrats have demanded.
“I don’t think most Americans give a damn about the video,” the South Carolina Republican said. “I’d like all of us to see it.”
“Most Americans want to know what’s going to happen next,” Graham continued. “Is it the policy to take Maduro down? It should be.”
Hegseth told reporters Tuesday that he would not release the full, unedited video, citing DOW policy.
Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin disputed the end goal of the drug boat strikes is regime change.
“It’s about stopping the drugs poisoning our streets,” Mullin told reporters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the counter drug mission is focused on dismantling the infrastructure of drug cartels who are “poisoning” and “killing” Americans. The administration has not provided evidence to the American public that the alleged drug boat vessels are trafficking drugs.
“We’re proud of what we’re doing,” Hegseth added.
Caden Olson contributed to this report.Â
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