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With time running out before an American aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean, Democrats and advocates are making one final pitch to Republican lawmakers to stop Donald Trump from making war on Venezuela.
Those advocates are trying to speak the language that Trump has sometimes adopted of opposing regime change wars abroad.
Though Trump himself is reportedly toying with the idea of strikes aimed at toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, his far-right Make American Great Again movement has elements that shy away from expensive, large-scale interventionism abroad.
Whereas the hawks dominated the Republican Party two decades ago, the anti-interventionist wing of the party has gained steam in recent years since Trump ran in 2016 on opposing the folly of the Iraq War and the fallout of U.S. intervention in Libya.
With what could be one final chance on Thursday night to stop Trump from attacking Venezuela — senators are poised to vote on a War Powers Resolution preventing strikes — opponents of a broader war are hoping to exploit that split. And the advocates urging restraint are pitting MAGA rhetoric against hawkish positions taken by figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly one of the loudest voices urging Trump to take more aggressive action in Latin America.
Republicans mostly rejected the idea of blocking Trump when it came to his strikes on alleged narco-boats last month, but Democrats and advocacy groups hope that a few more will flip when faced with the potential of all-out war.
They are pointing to the experience of Libya after former President Barack Obama launched an intervention there that caused a massive increase in immigration to Europe.
“Voting against this resolution is a vote against the Rubio approach inspired by the Bush-Cheney years.”
The coalition of anti-interventionist groups made their pitch to Republicans in a letter, obtained by The Intercept, being sent to senators ahead of the vote.
“Recent reporting shows that Rubio has not managed to convince Trump to launch this war, and for good reason,” said Erik Sperling, whose group Just Foreign Policy signed the letter. “A regime change war would harm Trump’s popularity and agenda. Voting against this resolution is a vote against the Rubio approach inspired by the Bush-Cheney years, and it will actually help prevent Trump from being trapped into making a grave mistake.”
Trump and other MAGA figures like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have scathingly criticized Obama’s approach on Libya.
A similar push to constrain Trump, from figures inside and outside MAGA world, fell short in the lead-up and aftermath of his administration’s strikes on Iran in June.
Second Try to Restrain Trump
The resolution up for a vote in the Senate on Thursday night is co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Adam Schiff of California, along with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Paul and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only two Republicans to vote in favor of the war powers resolution last month aimed at stopping the strikes on alleged drug boats.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the sole Democrat to vote against the resolution and in support of the Trump administration policy. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how he plans to vote Thursday night.
The latest resolution differs from the last one in focusing squarely on strikes on Venezuelan soil, rather than the open waters where the attacks on alleged drug boats have taken place.
Trump is considering military action aimed at toppling Maduro, according to multiple reports. The USS Gerald Ford, a powerful aircraft carrier, could enable air attacks once it arrives in the Caribbean from a tour in the Mediterranean.
Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna said in a statement that military action against Venezuela could lead to the type of “nation-building” that Trump has disdained in the past.
“Sadly, President Trump and JD Vance are betraying their promise to stay out of new regime change wars, so the U.S. Senate needs to step up and stop them,” Khanna said. “The American people are sick and tired of endless regime change wars.”
