Sunday, January 4, 2026

Pasadena’s Congressional Representatives Condemn Trump’s Actions in Venezuela

Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Judy Chu

Congresswoman Judy Chu and Senator Adam Schiff, who both represent Pasadena in Congress, reacted swiftly on Saturday to condemn President Donald Trump’s January 3, 2026 military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Chu issued her statement on X Saturday afternoon, criticizing Trump for launching the operation “without any explanation to the American people and without authorization from Congress.”

Chu said “Americans do not want another foreign regime change war launched in secret and without accountability,” and warned that Trump was “setting an example to the world that it is acceptable for countries to unilaterally overthrow sovereign leaders.”

She added that “Congress must rein in this administration and stop it from dragging our country into another endless, unauthorized war.”

Schiff, in a statement released Jan. 3 through his Senate office, called Maduro “a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela,” but said that “starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation.”

Schiff said the administration had been “massing American servicemembers and firepower in the Caribbean” for months and argued the operation was motivated by “regime change in an oil-rich nation.”

He urged Congress to bring up a new War Powers Resolution.

The military action, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, began early Jan. 3 with U.S. strikes in Caracas. According to the research, U.S. forces spent about 30 minutes on the ground at Maduro’s compound before withdrawing.

The Trump administration did not seek prior congressional authorization and notified congressional leaders only after the operation began.

Chu and Schiff’s statements aligned with other California Democrats who were overwhelmingly critical of the operation, emphasizing the lack of congressional authorization, constitutional concerns and questions about the administration’s motives.

Their comments came as international leaders, including the United Nations secretary-general, condemned the strike and as Congress examined the legality of Trump’s decision to proceed without approval.