On Thursday morning, January 8, five Republican senators — Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, Kentucky's Rand Paul, Missouri's Josh Hawley, and Indiana's Todd Young — joined Senate Democrats in voting to advance a resolution to block President Donald Trump from using military force against Venezuela. And Trump responded by personally attacking the senators in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump wrote: "Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again. This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief."
Trump went on to attack the senators for invoking the War Powers Act in their resolution.
The U.S. president posted: "In any event, and despite their 'stupidity,' the War Powers Act is Unconstitutional, totally violating Article II of the Constitution, as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me."
Trump's post is drawing a lot of responses on X.
MAGA Republican Breanna Morello, formerly with far-right network Newsmax, applauded Trump's post, writing: "President Donald Trump calls out The RINO Senators that are teaming up with Senate Democrats to undermine the White House. This includes Senators Susan Collins, Rand, Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young."
Eric Daugherty of the right-wing Florida's Voice News posted, "The White House CONFIRMED this would be vetoed."
But CNN's Aaron Blake, formerly of the Washington Post, argued that Collins is important to Republicans holding the U.S. Senate in the midterms.
Blake posted, "Collins is up for reelection this year and is key to Trump keeping a Senate majority."
MS NOW's Mychael Schnell tweeted: "Woah. President Trump blasts the 5 Senate Republicans who voted to advance the Venezuela war powers resolution. 'Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again.' Republicans should be 'ashamed' of them, he adds."
The Missouri Independent's Jason Hancock wrote: "Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Todd Young of Indiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska split with their party to act as a check on the administration's use of military forces."
Bloomberg News' Steven Dennis tweeted: "5 Republicans defied Trump on Venezuela, with some citing his talk of running the country indefinitely: Todd Young (Served as a Marine) Josh Hawley Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski Rand Paul."
Dennis, in a separate tweet, also posted: "Trump issued a veto threat, so passing this in the Senate - expected next week after today's 52-47 vote - is 15 votes shy in the Senate of an override (and needs 2/3rds in House too.)…. Still this is a very rare rebuke of Trump 2.0. (He's also lost votes on his tariffs on Canada)."
