Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, publicly supported President Donald Trump’s recent order that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This position marks a departure from the stance taken by most Democrats regarding the military operation, which was carried out early Saturday without congressional approval.
“I don’t know why we can’t just acknowledge that it’s been a good thing what’s happened … We all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone,” Fetterman said in an interview on Fox & Friends.
The Trump administration’s strike on Caracas resulted in the detention of Maduro, who has served as Venezuela’s president since 2013, and Cilia Flores. The operation came after months of U.S. military escalation and allegations from U.S. officials that Maduro was involved in significant drug trafficking activities. The future leadership of Venezuela remains uncertain, but President Trump indicated that American involvement will persist.
“I think (the military operation) was appropriate and surgical,” Fetterman said during the interview. “This wasn’t a war, this wasn’t boots on the grounds, and in that kind of way, this was surgical and very efficient, and I want to celebrate our military.”
According to The New York Times, a Venezuelan official reported at least 40 fatalities resulting from the strike.
Reactions among Venezuelans living in Philadelphia were mixed; some welcomed Maduro’s removal while expressing concern about Trump’s remarks suggesting ongoing U.S. control over Venezuela. The event also drew criticism from several Democratic lawmakers.
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey commented on X: “Maduro is a ‘brutal dictator who has committed grave abuses’ and that the U.S. military carried out their orders with ‘professionalism and excellence,’ but stressed that Trump’s military operation defies the constitution and is a culmination of a repeated failure by Congress to exercise its check on presidential power.” Booker continued: “We face an authoritarian-minded president who acts with dangerous growing impunity. He has shown a willingness to defy court orders, violate the law, ignore congressional intent, and shred basic norms of decency and democracy. This pattern will continue unless the Article I branch of government, especially Republican congressional leadership, finds the courage to act.”
Other Democratic figures have also questioned whether the operation complied with legal requirements.
Fetterman’s support for Trump’s actions is not unprecedented; he previously sided with Republicans in favoring a plan to reopen the federal government without addressing expired health care subsidies.
During his Monday interview, Fetterman pointed out that leading Democrats—including former President Joe Biden—have also sought Maduro’s removal from office. In January 2025, Biden increased the bounty for Maduro’s arrest to $25 million shortly before leaving office—a move prompted by Maduro assuming another term despite evidence indicating electoral defeat.
“Why have a bounty of $25 million if we didn’t want him gone? Why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?” Fetterman asked.
