"Here the NY Times is calling this action by Trump ILLEGAL, when they did not do so on any of these other actions."
The New York Times instantly wrote:
“Mr. Trump has not yet offered a coherent explanation for his actions in Venezuela. He is pushing our country toward an international crisis without valid reasons. If Mr. Trump wants to argue otherwise, the Constitution spells out what he must do: Go to Congress. Without congressional approval, his actions violate United States law.”
What I find most curious is how biased the press is against Trump. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson sent U.S. Marines and sailors into Central America at least 15 times between 1902 and 1920. The 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, which resulted in the capture of Panama’s de facto leader, General Manuel Noriega took place the same way without asking permission from Congress. That applies to a declaration of war.
President George H.W. Bush did not seek or receive a formal declaration of war or specific authorization from Congress before launching the invasion to “seize the head of Panama” (capture Noriega). He acted based on his authority as Commander-in-Chief.
Mr. Bush is followed almost exactly the Roosevelt-Wilson policies that locked the U.S. into its worst era of U.S.-Latin American relations. He copied the earlier Presidents’ use of unilateral force to overthrow the government of a sovereign country, their declarations that they were doing this in the name of democracy and their installation of a regime that owed its power to U.S. force.
Here the NY Times is calling this action by Trump ILLEGAL, when they did not do so on any of these other actions. The Constitution requires a Declaration of War can only be issued by Congress. That is a prolonged conflict like Vietnam, WWI and WWII. None of these other actions were prolonged engagements of war,
The Declare War Clause (Article I, Section 8) of the Constitution explicitly grants Congress, not the President, the power “to declare War.” It is unlikely that the Founders intended to require a congressional declaration for the capture of a head of state as in the Panama invasion. The War Powers Resolution (1973) while not part of the Constitution itself, this law (passed over a presidential veto) was designed to enforce Congress’s constitutional role. It requires Consultation with Congress “in every possible instance” before introducing forces into hostilities. Reporting to Congress within 48 hours. Withdrawal of forces within 60-90 days unless Congress authorizes further action.
Trump Invades Venezuela (article) |
