Rep. Massie calls U.S. action in Venezuela 'gaslighting' and questions its legality

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky called the United States’ seizure and prosecution of Venezuela’s leader “preposterous” and said there has been “gaslighting” on Venezuela in an interview with The New York Times on Jan. 8, 2026. Massie, a rare Republican critic of President Trump’s military intervention, has clashed with Mr.

Trump over other matters and has pressed for a war powers resolution to stop the president from using military force without congressional approval or a declaration of war, after a similar effort failed last month. He also faces a Trump-backed primary challenger whose campaign has raised more than $1 million.

In the interview, Massie said the indictment of Nicolás Maduro rested on “a flimsy constitutional argument,” and he accused the administration of conflating fentanyl with cocaine. He called the operation “illegal and unconstitutional,” but said impeaching Mr. Trump was “not something I would do.” He told The Times that many Republican colleagues privately agree with his concerns but will not speak out publicly; he estimated “a couple dozen” lawmakers are saying one thing while believing another.

Massie said he expects political support for the intervention to erode over time and warned that the executive branch has not described a legal framework to prevent similar actions in the future.

Key Topics

Politics, Thomas Massie, Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, Venezuela, War Powers Resolution