Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz calls Trump administration's Venezula policy "completely inside out"

Key Concepts

• Double Tap Strike: A military tactic involving two successive strikes, often to ensure no survivors from the first strike.
• Enemy Combatants: Individuals engaged in hostilities against a nation, often used in the context of war.
• War Crime: A violation of the laws or customs of war.
• International Law: A body of law governing relations between states.
• Rules of War: Principles and regulations governing the conduct of armed conflict.
• National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): Legislation that provides legal authority for military operations and funding.
• Appropriations Bill: Legislation that authorizes government spending.
• TPS (Temporary Protected Status): A designation for individuals from certain countries unable to return home due to ongoing armed conflict or natural disaster.
• Regime Change: The removal or replacement of a government.
• Sanctions: Penalties imposed by one country on another to influence its policies.
• Deportation Flights: Flights used to transport individuals being deported from one country to another.
• Venezuelan Airspace: The airspace over Venezuela.
• Juan Guaidó: The recognized interim president of Venezuela by many countries, including the United States.
• Nicolás Maduro: The current president of Venezuela, whose legitimacy is disputed by many.

Discussion on US Policy Towards Venezuela and "Double Tap" Strikes

This transcript details a conversation with Florida Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz regarding the Trump administration's policy towards Venezuela, specifically focusing on the legality and implications of "double tap" strikes against suspected drug boats.

1. "Double Tap" Strikes and Legality

• White House Statement: White House Press Secretary Caroline Levit stated that the President has the authority to "kill them" in reference to occupants of suspected drug boats heading towards the United States.
• Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz's Reaction: She expressed strong disagreement, calling the order "dangerous" and stating that the administration "have any idea what they're talking about."
• Legal Concerns: Wasserman Schultz highlighted that "double tap" strikes are of "questionable legality" and, in a wartime situation where these boats are labeled "enemy combatants," could constitute a "potential war crime" leading to "serious prosecution." She argued that this action violates "international law and the the rules of war."
• Indiscriminate Killing: She accused the administration of "killing people indiscriminately," a tactic she attributed to Nicolás Maduro, not the United States.

2. Inconsistent and Dangerous US Policy Towards Venezuela

• "Inside Out" Policy: Wasserman Schultz repeatedly described the administration's policy as "completely inside out" and "incoherent."
• Contradictory Actions:
  • Declaring Maduro a "terrorist" while revoking TPS for 400,000 Venezuelans, sending them "into the arms of someone he declares a terrorist."
  • Striking "drug boats" in the Caribbean and Pacific while simultaneously issuing a pardon to a former president of Honduras convicted of running "400 tons of cocaine" originating from Venezuela.
  • Coordinating with Maduro on deportation flights while unilaterally declaring Venezuelan airspace closed, an action she stated he "can't do" and lacks the authority for.
• Lack of Due Process: The policy is allowing "the killing of people without due process."
• Failure to Support Democracy: The administration is not ensuring a "transition to democracy in Venezuela," which her constituents, representing the largest percentage of Venezuelans in the country, "desperate for." They desire the restoration of democracy and believe Juan Guaidó should be the rightful president.

3. Legislative Avenues for Action

• Tools for Legislators: Wasserman Schultz outlined two key legislative avenues to address these concerns:
  • National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): This bill is pending and heading to a conference committee, where stipulations can be drafted.
  • Military Appropriations Bill: This bill also offers an opportunity to include stipulations.
• Urgency: She emphasized the "essential" need to use these tools, suggesting action is needed in the "next few days or weeks."

4. Constituent Concerns and Desires

• Not Ambivalent: Her constituents are "not ambivalent" about the situation.
• Universal Desire: They universally want the restoration of democracy and the "prosperous nation that was Venezuela."
• Call for Engagement: They want the administration to "engage the Latin American leadership across our region."
• Reapplication of Sanctions: Wasserman Schultz advocates for reapplying sanctions that Trump removed, arguing that Maduro is currently "funding Trump with oil money" because he can access it due to the lifted sanctions. She believes Maduro is taking "bribes in exchange for the deportations."

5. Disagreement within the Administration and Military

• "Double Tap" Admission: The administration has "now admitted that they ordered that double tap."
• Admiral Hiley's Departure: Admiral Hiley is reportedly leaving, "in part because of his disagreement with the Secretary of Defense," which Wasserman Schultz suggests is related to these policies.

6. Call for Consistent Leadership and Republican Support

• Need for Consistency: Wasserman Schultz stressed the need for "consistent leadership out of the administration" and a president who is not "threatening to engage us in war" or "engaged in committing war crimes himself potentially."
• Constituent and Venezuelan Deserve Better: She stated that her constituents and Venezuelans "deserve better."
• Executive and Legislative Branch Unity: She called for leadership that "comes together through the executive and legislative branch."
• Republican Accountability: She urged Republicans in Congress to "stop just rolling over and allowing Trump to get away with all of this."

7. Incoherence of Airspace Closure

• Lack of Authority: Wasserman Schultz questioned the President's authority to close "Venezuelan airspace in their entirety," stating, "He doesn't have the authority to close Venezuelan airspace."
• Contradictory Actions: This action is juxtaposed with coordinating deportation flights with Maduro.
• Unexplained Policy: The policy is described as "incoherent in un inexplicable" and makes "no sense to anyone."

8. Conclusion: Transition to Democracy

• Ultimate Goal: The overarching objective is a "transition to democracy with the Maduro's departure and Juan Guaidó becoming the rightful president of Venezuela."
• Inconsistent Policy Hinders Goal: The current inconsistent and dangerous policies are hindering this crucial objective.