House Republicans back Trump's Venezuela moves for now as escalation uncertainty looms

By Fox News · Fox News

House Republicans say they're behind President Donald Trump and his administration's pressure campaign on Venezuela so far, but the uncertainty over what happens next is spurring both questions and concerns among some in the GOP. Several Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration has been well within its rights to act against Nicolás Maduro's regime. But they're eager for more information after several strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats and Trump's own heightened rhetoric targeting the country's dictatorial president. "I support the actions that are being taken," Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital. "I absolutely support stopping the flow of drugs in this country. I'm interested in seeing what the longer-term plans are, and that’s what I want to see." It comes amid significant speculation and debate over a pair of Sept. 2 strikes against an alleged drug boat from Venezuela. LAWMAKERS SKEPTICAL OF ALLEGED HEGSETH KILL ORDERS IN VENEZUELA — BUT ISSUE STARK WARNING The White House confirmed that the U.S. carried out two attacks — one initial hit on the boat and a follow-up strike that killed two remaining survivors. Democrats have accused the GOP administration of committing a possible war crime. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth , who said the second strike was carried out on orders from U.S. Navy Admiral Frank M. Bradley, have emphatically defended the decision. "Obviously, if you're not there, it's kind of hard to second-guess those decisions," Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., said in pushing back on the criticism. "I think the use of our armed forces … to help deal with the flood of human trafficking and drug trafficking that's coming out of Venezuela, we need to do all we can to help stop." TOP DEMOCRAT BACKS US INTEL ON NARCO-TRAFFICKING STRIKES, FAULTS BIDEN FOR ‘NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH’ ON MADURO He said, however, that Trump would have to s…