Tug-of-war: Trump’s escalation against Venezuela splits Republicans

Published December 2, 2025 6:00am ET



President Donald Trump’s actions against Venezuela are making some Republican lawmakers and members of his MAGA base nervous, but they are also ginning up the likes of south Floridians who ditched Democrats to support him last year in droves.

The Trump administration has launched more than a dozen deadly strikes against alleged narco-terrorists, without providing evidence, in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, including a disputed report that War Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a “double-tap” strike in September to kill two survivors from a first attack on a boat amid accusations the move constitutes a war crime.

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