During a January 28, 2026, Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) over U.S. policy toward Venezuela following the Trump administration’s military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro and invoked the Alien Enemies Act for deportations.
Duckworth pressed Rubio on whether the U.S. is “at war” with Venezuela and if Trump threatened boots on the ground, accusing inconsistency in denying war while using wartime powers. Rubio denied Trump explicitly said troops would go in, emphasizing presidential authority against imminent threats but no current war or planned ground troops. .
