President Donald Trump went nuclear on five Republican senators for advancing a resolution that could constrain his military power in Venezuela.
But Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped sideline the resolution with more subtle congressional diplomacy.
The Trump administration and Senate GOP leaders successfully lobbied two key GOP senators — Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana — to bottle it up because US troops are not currently on the ground in Venezuela. Plus, Rubio told Young in writing that if Trump decides to enter US troops in “major military operations,” he would seek congressional authorization.
It was a big show of force by Trump to defeat an attempt to restrict his power — and showed Rubio has the chops to move votes. It’s also a counterpoint to signs that the GOP Congress is breaking with Trump.