‘It Looks Weak’: Some Democrats Reportedly Displeased With Party’s Response To Venezuela Operation

A group of centrist House Democrats are privately criticizing their party’s opposition to President Donald Trump’s military operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Several swing-district and battleground members spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity to express frustration with their colleagues’ messaging. They warned the party risks a political miscalculation by failing to celebrate the removal of a brutal dictator.

“I think it looks weak,” one centrist House Democrat told the outlet. “If you don’t acknowledge when there is a win for our country, then you lose all credibility.”

Another vulnerable House Democrat said the party should show more restraint. (RELATED: Trump Says US Is Going To Run Venezuela After Nabbing Maduro)

“As Democrats we can’t just condemn what happened,” the lawmaker told the outlet. “I wish the Democratic Party would be a little bit more measured on this.”

Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further…

— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) January 3, 2026

A third swing-district Democrat vented that “everything Trump touches must be bad according to the base.”

The dissent comes as most Democratic lawmakers have blasted Trump for bypassing Congress and launching the operation without proper authorization.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that the administration “has not sought congressional authorization for the use of military force.” Rep. Jared Huffman went further, telling Axios the country is now “in 25th Amendment territory.”

House Democrats planned to hold an emergency virtual caucus meeting Sunday afternoon, according to Axios.

Not all Democrats opposed the operation. Former Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Maduro’s capture “welcome news” and praised the chance for Venezuelans to seat their “true, democratically elected president.”