(LEX 18) — Kentucky Congressman Andy Barr praised President Trump's decision to order airstrikes in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, while Rep. Morgan McGarvey criticized Trump saying he used the operation for personal and corporate benefit.
Barr said the action protects Americans from what he called "narco terrorists" and emphasized the personal impact on his home state.
"I applaud President Trump for taking decisive action to protect the American people from narco terrorists seeking to poison and murder the American people—and carrying out that action pursuant to his Commander in Chief powers under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack," Barr's Facebook post read.
The congressman highlighted Kentucky's struggles with drug-related deaths, calling the threat anything but abstract for his constituents.
"For states like Kentucky, this threat is not abstract—narco-terrorism has fueled a deadly flood of drugs that has taken thousands of innocent lives and devastated families across the Commonwealth," Barr said.
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Barr disputed Maduro's legitimacy as Venezuela's president, describing him instead as a criminal leader.
"Nicolas Maduro is NOT the legitimate President of Venezuela. He is a narco terrorist and leader of the Cartel de Los Soles, indicted in the Southern District of New York for committing grievous crimes against the United States, including Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machine Guns and Destructive Devices against the United States," Barr said.
The congressman concluded by thanking both Trump and military personnel involved in the operation.
"Thank you Mr. President, you made Americans safer today. And thank you to the brave Americans who carried out this mission - our country is grateful," Barr said.
Meanwhile, Congressman Morgan McGarvey criticized Trump's military action in Venezuela. Rep. McGarvey condemned the strikes as potentially serving corporate interests rather than American security needs.
"America must not start another reckless, unjustified war fought for the interests of oil companies," McGarvey said.
The congressman questioned Trump's commitment to democratic values while acknowledging Maduro's authoritarian rule.
"While Maduro is a cruel and illegitimate dictator, Trump is not a president who prioritizes democracy or civil rights at home or abroad," McGarvey said.
McGarvey also pointed to what he called inconsistencies in the administration's drug policy justification for the strikes.
"If this is actually about drugs, we cannot ignore the hypocrisy of a president who pardons a drug trafficker like former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez one day, and then bombs another country the next under the same premise," McGarvey said.
The representative accused Trump of using military forces for personal and corporate benefit rather than national interests.
"Trump is using our troops for personal gain, for oil companies, and in the interest of billionaire executives, not the interest of the American people," McGarvey said.
McGarvey called on Republican leadership to exercise congressional oversight over military actions.
"Only Congress has the ability to declare war. Republican leadership needs to wake up and join us in reigning in this President," McGarvey said.
In addition, Senator Mitch McConnell praised Trump in his most recent post on Facebook stating the following:
"Maduro is a thug, and the hemisphere would be safer without this lackey of Iran, Russia, and China in power. President Donald J. Trump has broad constitutional authority and long historical precedent for the limited use of military force, and I’m grateful to the U.S. personnel who carried out orders in harm’s way. A free, democratic, and stable Venezuela, led by Venezuelans, is in America’s national security interests — I expect the Administration to brief Congress soon on how it intends to secure this outcome."
