Republican admits he'd be 'apoplectic' if Biden did what Trump is doing

24 October

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a "Summer Soiree" held on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said he’d be “apoplectic” if former President Joe Biden acted the same way President Donald Trump is regarding recent military operations in Venezuela and the Caribbean Sea – a rare public rebuke from a member of Trump’s own party.

Speaking Friday on C-SPAN’s Ceasefire program, Lankford criticized the Trump administration for ordering strikes on Venezuelan vessels without first consulting Congress.

“The administration needs to give insight into Congress. That’s part of it,” he said. “If this was happening with this level of insight under the Biden administration, I’d be apoplectic."

Lankford appeared with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who also expressed surprise that the attacks — ten since September — were revealed through media reports rather than briefings.

“I serve on the Intelligence Committee. [Coons] serves as a senior Democrat on defense. This is typical consultation,” Lankford said, emphasizing that lawmakers should at least be informed before such actions occur.

While Lankford said he supports cracking down on drug trafficking, he urged Trump to involve Congress. “We’re not his opponent on this,” he said. “We’re an ally … but we need to be able to have a voice on it as a co-equal branch.”

Earlier on Friday, the U.S. military carried out a strike on Friday targeting a vessel allegedly operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua that, according to Defense Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, was engaged in drug-trafficking activities in the Caribbean Sea.

Hegseth stated that the operation resulted in the deaths of six people.

Since early September, the Trump administration has carried out at least five to seven military strikes on vessels near Venezuela, resulting in at least 21 to 32 deaths.

The U.S. claims the boats were tied to narcotics trafficking networks and “narco-terrorists,” part of its self-described campaign in the Caribbean.

However, independent observers including a team of experts commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council have lambasted the operations, saying the strikes amount to “extrajudicial executions," because they took place in international waters without transparent legal basis or evidence publicly shared.

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