Senator Mark Warner criticized the Trump administration for excluding Democrats from briefings on military strikes against alleged drug traffickers, calling the decision “indefensible and dangerous.”
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia and the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has publicly condemned the Trump administration for holding briefings exclusively with Republican lawmakers regarding U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. Warner characterized the exclusion of Democrats from these national security briefings as “indefensible and dangerous.”
In a statement, Warner expressed his concerns, stating, “Shutting Democrats out of a briefing on U.S. military strikes and withholding the legal justification for those strikes from half the Senate is indefensible and dangerous.” He emphasized that decisions regarding the use of American military force should not be treated as partisan campaign strategy sessions or the exclusive domain of one political party.
Warner further argued that such actions undermine national security and violate Congress’s constitutional responsibility to oversee matters of war and peace. He described the partisan nature of the briefings as a “slap in the face” to Congress’s war powers and to the service members involved in military operations. He warned that this approach sets a “reckless and deeply troubling precedent” for future administrations.
Reports indicate that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has produced a legal opinion justifying the military strikes, which Democrats have been requesting in recent weeks. Warner insisted that the administration must provide Democrats with the same briefing and the OLC opinion that Secretary Rubio had promised him during a recent meeting on Capitol Hill. “Americans deserve a government that fulfills its constitutional duties and treats decisions about the use of military force with the seriousness they demand,” Warner stated.
In response to Warner’s criticism, the Pentagon defended its actions, asserting that the “appropriate” committees had been briefed on the strikes. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson stated, “The Department of War has briefed the appropriate committees of jurisdiction, including the Senate Intelligence Committee, numerous times throughout the operations targeting narco-terrorists. These have occurred on a bipartisan basis and will continue as such.”
On Wednesday, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also sent a letter demanding to review the legal justification for the series of boat strikes, which they argue may violate several laws. The letter highlighted the importance of adhering to legal standards, stating, “Drug trafficking is a terrible crime that has had devastating impacts on American families and communities and should be prosecuted. Nonetheless, the President’s actions to hold alleged drug traffickers accountable must still conform with the law.”
Members of the Trump administration have faced scrutiny not only from Democrats but also from within their own party. Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, raised concerns about the potential for killing individuals without due process and the risk of harming innocent people. Paul referenced Coast Guard statistics indicating that a significant percentage of boats boarded under suspicion of drug trafficking are, in fact, innocent.
Furthermore, Paul argued that if the administration intends to engage in military action against Venezuela, particularly after targeting boats allegedly linked to the Venezuela-connected Tren de Aragua gang, it must seek a formal declaration of war from Congress. Similar sentiments have been echoed by Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky.
This controversy follows the announcement by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth that the U.S. military conducted another strike on a boat carrying individuals he described as narco-terrorists. This latest operation, directed by President Donald Trump, resulted in the deaths of four men on board. It marked the 14th strike on suspected drug boats since September, with reports indicating that a total of 61 individuals have been killed in these operations, while three survived, including at least two who were later repatriated to their home countries. The Pentagon has not disclosed the identities of those killed or provided evidence that drugs were present on the boats involved.
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