GOP Reps. Scott Perry, Thomas Massie, Trent Kelly, Ralph Norman, and Brad Knott talk on the floor of the House on March 04, 2025, in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS
While Republicans in Congress have largely shown support for Donald Trump's recent military incursion into Venezuela, according to a Tuesday report from NOTUS, some have begun to speak out against the president "behind closed doors."
According to NOTUS, a classified congressional briefing on the situation in Venezuela "marked a rare instance where House Republicans... expressed wariness and concern" over Trump's handling of the country. In particular, Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Michigan Republican, "expressed concern" over the president trusting acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez to remain in power, alongside her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, as head of the national assembly, despite their ties to captured President Nicolás Maduro.
Huizenga previously expressed support for Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González to take control of the country. In response to an inquiry about his comments from NOTUS, the congressman told the outlet that Rodríguez and her brother were “instrumental in helping the Maduro regime with being a drug state..."
"And so, I have no confidence," Huizenga said, also adding that he asked Trump administration officials during the meeting last week, "When are we going to get to either recognizing González or an actual free, fair election that the results will be recognized?"
According to Huizenga, the response he got from Secretary of State Marco Rubio was only what had been shared with the public by that point, that "we need some time with transition."
Huizenga also pressed the administration for actual details about the "formula" it claims to be working on for how it will split Venezuelan oil profits between the US, Venezuela and oil companies.
“I haven’t gotten full, detailed, satisfactory answers yet,” Huizenga said, adding that the question “wasn’t intended to be hostile so much as it was inquisitive about, OK, have we thought through this?”
NOTUS's report was based on testimony from "over a dozen" lawmakers who were present for the meeting. One anonymous senior Democrat confirmed that the concerns expressed behind closed doors were bipartisan.
“There was bipartisan concern, very balanced bipartisan concern, over the lack of a plan to transition to democracy, allowing the remaining regime leaders [to control Venezuela]," the Democrat said. “That was expressed by Republicans, as well as Democrats. It was good to see some of my Republican colleagues actually being members of Congress."
