Can a U.S. President do This?

This morning, Donald J. Trump claimed that the United States carried out a large-scale strike inside Venezuela. They snatched its sitting president Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the middle of the night. They removed him from the country. The Maduro’s were flown to New York, and are there now, most likely in a detention center.

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No — a U.S. president can’t legally do this on their own.

Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the power to authorize war. Written in the constitution is: Congress declares war, raises armies, and funds the military (Article I), while the President acts as Commander-in-Chief, directing the armed forces (Article II)

A president can use military force unilaterally only to repel a sudden or imminent attack on the United States. There is no congressional authorization to invade Venezuela, and no claim of an imminent attack justifying self-defense.

Seizing another country’s sitting president on their own soil forcibly forms an act of war. It also violates international law. Nations are prohibited from using force against other sovereign states except in self-defense or with United Nations authorization. Neither applies here. Seizing a leader violates national sovereignty and international law, often viewed as an act of aggression.

Calling such an operation “law enforcement” does not make it legal. U.S. law enforcement agencies have no authority to arrest foreign leaders in foreign countries without that nation’s consent.

Threatening military intervention over how another country handles internal protests is also unlawful. Human rights abuses, yet serious, do not grant a U.S. president unilateral authority to invade or intervene militarily.

Why this matters:

Even if such claims are exaggerated or false, the assertion itself is dangerous. Democracies rely on clear limits on military power. When presidents suggest they can launch attacks, or seize foreign leaders, the governance erodes. The risk of catastrophic escalation grows when they threaten war by personal decree.

Bottom line:

A U.S. president does not have the legal authority to invade another country or capture its leader without Congress. Normalizing these claims pushes the nation toward strongman rule.

If you watched any part of the president’s press conference from Mar A Lago, you would have witnessed an autocrat. He nearly fell asleep on his feet while the general was speaking. This autocrat was telling the world that his government is taking over the authority of running Venezuela. At the presser, Trump said this:

Mr. Trump said at a news conference the United States would “run the country.” This would continue until a proper transition of power is arranged. He raised the prospect of an open-ended commitment. He offered few details, though, and it was not clear whether he meant U.S. forces would occupy the country, although he said he was not afraid of “boots on the ground. New York Times, January 3.