The Left Is Changing Its Tune on Presidential Power to …

PDF version here.

In 2011, Congressional Republicans and Democrats stood together and affirmed the obvious: President Obama didn’t need congressional approval to stop mass slaughter in Libya. Now, those same liberals are contradicting themselves by saying President Trump’s Venezuela operation is “illegal” because Congress didn’t approve it first.
The Constitutional authority to conduct small scale military operations belonged to the President in 2011 and it remains with the President today. Even Chuck Schumer acknowledged in 2011 that Congress needed to “defer to the commander-in-chief.”
The difference between then and now? The left doesn’t like who’s in charge. Presidential powers are constant. They do not change based on who sits in the White House.

Here are just a few of the many Democrats who’ve flipped their positions to attack President Trump’s Venezuela operation:

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

THEN: Congress “should defer to the commander-in-chief on short-term, immediate situations like [Libya].” (3/13/2011)
NOW: “Launching military action without congressional authorization […] is reckless.” (1/3/2026)

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi

THEN: “The limited nature of this engagement allows the president to go forward. I’m satisfied that the president has the authority he needs to go ahead.” (6/16/2011)
NOW: President Trump […] continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article One war powers of Congress which is essential to our constitutional system.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Chris Van Hollen

THEN: “The president was in a delicate position — if he had not acted quickly, people would be saying why hadn’t you acted sooner.” (3/28/2011)
NOW: “Congress must not abdicate its constitutional authority and allow control of the world’s most powerful military to fall into just one set of hands.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Adam Schiff

THEN: Obama’s Libya intervention was “a risky thing” but “the right thing to do.” (10/20/2011)
NOW: “Congress must bring up a new War Powers Resolution and reassert its power to authorize force or to refuse to do so.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Michael Bennet

THEN: “Congress needs to focus on what’s next in Libya” rather than Obama intervening without congressional approval. (3/23/2011)
NOW: “I have seen no evidence justifying the administration acting alone without Congressional authorization.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

THEN: “Well, you have here a madman who’s basically been starving his country and bombing his own people. And so that is why we stood with the rest of the world.” (3/20/2011)
NOW: “I have strongly opposed sending American forces into harm’s way in Venezuela without authorization from Congress.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Jack Reed

THEN: “If there’s a [war powers] proposal coming before Congress, I would have no difficulty in supporting [Obama’s] actions today. (3/20/2011)
NOW: “This has been a profound constitutional failure. Congress – not the President – has the sole power to authorize war.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Chris Murphy

THEN: “The President has an obligation to bring Congress a detailed plan […] if he is going to do more than provide support to a limited international mission.” (3/21/2011)
NOW: “Clearly, this is wildly illegal…The president cannot run a military operation of this size, cannot invade a foreign country without coming to Congress first.” (1/4/2026)

Sen. Mazie Hirono

THEN: “To not support the president in [Libya] would have been terrible.” (8/18/2011)
NOW: “Without any authorization from Congress or any clear plan for what comes next, Trump is plunging our nation into a conflict that could put American lives at risk.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Mark Warner

THEN: “Sen. Warner supports the President’s ability to deploy forces in support of our national security interest.” (6/17/2011)
NOW: “Our Constitution places the gravest decisions about the use of military force in the hands of Congress.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Ron Wyden

THEN: “I support the international effort to protect the civilians of Libya.” (4/1/2011)
NOW: “This is an illegal intervention in a country that poses no threat to the United States.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Chris Coons

THEN: “I have so far supported U.S. military engagement [in Libya].” (6/28/2011)
NOW: “Our Constitution requires the administration to seek congressional approval […] to commit U.S. troops or take military strikes against Venezuela.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

THEN: “The Obama Administration deserves credit for working closely with our NATO allies to help bring about the end of the Qaddhafi regime.” (10/20/2011)
NOW: “[Congress is] left with no understanding of how the Administration is preparing to mitigate risks […] we have no information regarding a long-term strategy.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Dick Durbin

THEN: “Reports are positive about what we have done […] this is a very wise course.”’ (3/23/2011)
NOW: “I disagree with President Trump’s use of U.S. military forces without Congressional approval.” (1/3/2026)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal

THEN: “I’ve supported this policy [… I think we’re united in the President’s efforts to remove Qadhafi.” (3/31/2011)
NOW: “President Trump has never sought approval from Congress for war as the Constitution requires - and our military deserves.” (1/3/2026)

House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks

THEN: “The President made the right calls and the right decisions [on Libya].” (9/6/2011)
NOW: “Donald Trump used U.S. military force to invade a sovereign nation without authorization […] Congress is not a spectator in matters of war.” (1/6/2026)

House Armed Services Ranking Member Adam Smith

THEN: “While the Administration could have done a better job of working with Congress in the days prior to taking action, it is clear that U.S. leadership prevented this humanitarian crisis from getting worse.” (3/29/2011)
NOW: “The President seems to be doing this without proper legal authority […] We need to exercise oversight.” (1/3/2026)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

THEN: “I don’t think President Obama has done anything different [on war powers] than any other president.” (3/29/2011)
NOW: Removing “Nicolás Maduro risks chaos, violence, and entrenching the United States in a conflict that the American people did not ask for.” (1/3/2026)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul

THEN: No comment.
NOW: “You’ve got to go to Congress. You’ve got to get authority. It’s kind of important to do things like that.” (1/5/2026)

The Bottom Line: These political games harm America’s national security. The Senate has already soundly defeated a stunt to protect these adversaries from U.S. strikes. The American people need a commander-in-chief who can use our military to protect the homeland–especially against narco-terrorists in our own hemisphere.

The Left Is Changing Its Tune on Presidential Power to Attack Trump’s Venezuela Operation