Sen. Lindsey Graham defended recent U.S. strikes on alleged drug vessels, endorsed possible expansion to land strikes, and said Congress will be briefed on future operations.
Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday defended the White House’s decision to strike vessels off Venezuela’s coast and suggested President Donald Trump might “expand” military operations to land targets in the region.
In an interview with CBS’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation,” the South Carolina Republican said Trump is “doing the right thing” and relayed that “President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia.” “So there will be a congressional briefing about a potential expanding from the sea to the land. I support that idea.”
Since the strikes began in early September, more than 30 people have died, prompting critics to question the legality and evidentiary basis for the actions while the administration says the moves protect Americans from drugs and cartels.
Graham pushed back on critics and attacked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling him a “narco-terrorist dictator” and warning that the U.S. would use military force to stop drug trafficking. “The game is changing when it comes to drug traffickers and drug cartels,” he said.