--- title: Will Trump Be Impeached? Venezuela Fallout Sparks Backlash description: Many Democrat lawmakers have labeled Trump’s actions in Venezuela an “impeachable” matter. canonical: https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-01-06T13:42:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:03.755Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Impeachment Calls Gain Pace Amid Venezuela Fallout og:description: Many Democrat lawmakers have labeled Trump’s actions in Venezuela an “impeachable” matter. og:url: https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c615e07722c2a1/6998cca266d4e372b0cbd22b/GettyImages-2254194605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5000 og:image:height: 2813 og:image:alt: Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Impeachment Calls Gain Pace Amid Venezuela Fallout twitter:description: Many Democrat lawmakers have labeled Trump’s actions in Venezuela an “impeachable” matter. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c615e07722c2a1/6998cca266d4e372b0cbd22b/GettyImages-2254194605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Calls for Trump's Impeachment Gain Momentum Amid Fallout Over Venezuela Operation > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f17b21e8-3b71-4526-bfd6-564e4fc2735a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How the World Is Reacting to the U.S. Capture of Nicolas Maduro VERTICAL " [Watch (HLS stream): How the World Is Reacting to the U.S. Capture of Nicolas Maduro VERTICAL "](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lmgDQ3rd.m3u8) (2:26)  _Published 2026-01-05. World leaders reacted to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States with a mixture of outrage, concern, and caution on Saturday. President Donald Trump announced the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and a “large-scale” strike against Venezuela hours after explosions were reported in the country’s capital, Caracas._ by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Jan 6, 2026 1:42 PM UTC  Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City. Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City. GC Images—2026 XNY/Star Max by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Jan 6, 2026 1:42 PM UTC President Donald Trump has heralded his operation in Venezuela as a victory, praising the "spectacular assault” that led to the successful capture of fallen President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, [Cilia Flores](https://time.com/7343188/who-is-cilia-flores-maduro-wife-venezuela-politics/). However, while the Trump Administration celebrates what it considers to be a win, others have voiced serious concerns about the way in which the U.S. conducted its assault. The United Nations on Tuesday said the action from the U.S. has made “[all States less safe around the world](https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166707).” This follows significant criticism and[ caution](https://time.com/7342925/venezuela-maduro-capture-reaction/) from world leaders regarding the Venezuela operation. Furthermore, since Saturday’s pre-dawn raid in Caracas, Trump has threatened that the U.S. may carry out [interventions](https://time.com/7343093/trump-venezuela-us-next-colombia-cuba-greenland-iran-mexico/) elsewhere in the world, prompting further concern and [disapproval](https://time.com/7343110/trump-greenland-annex-threats-nielsen-responds/). At home in the U.S., calls for the President’s impeachment are now gaining momentum, as some Democratic lawmakers, along with prominent figures in the political space, demand that action be taken. Rep. April McClain Delaney of Maryland on Monday called for the Democratic Caucus to “imminently consider impeachment proceedings” against Trump in response to his military action in Venezuela. “Over the weekend, we saw the President—without authorization or approval from Congress, as required by our Constitution—launch an attack on Venezuela and voice his intention to ‘run’ the country,” [said Delaney](https://mcclaindelaney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-mcclain-delaney-statement-trumps-illegal-actions-venezuela), who criticized her Republican colleagues, accusing them of “allowing Trump to defy the rule of law.”  Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., conducts a news conference in Leesburg, Virginia,, on Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025. Tom Williams - CQ-Roll Call Inc via Getty Images Urging a response from Congress, Delaney added: “It is time—full stop—for Congress to step up to the plate and stop this Administration's unauthorized and harmful actions.” This was just the latest serious call for impeachment, as many Democrat lawmakers have labeled Trump’s actions in Venezuela an “impeachable” matter. ## **Calls for Trump’s impeachment gather momentum** California state Sen. Scott Wiener, [who is running for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Congress seat](https://time.com/7331664/nancy-pelosi-retirement-congress/), has called for Trump to be impeached over, what he refers to as, the “illegal invasion and coup in Venezuela.” “Trump illegally invaded Venezuela, seizing and bombing the capitol, seizing the country’s oil assets, and taking President Maduro and his wife prisoner,” said Weiner in [a press release](https://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-wiener-calls-trumps-impeachment-his-illegal-invasion-and-coup-venezuela) issued on Jan. 3. “Trump has no legal authority to invade Venezuela, given lack of authorization by Congress. This lawless act is yet another impeachable offense by this thug President,” claimed Wiener, who cited concerns that the President’s actions could prompt “China to invade Taiwan and Russia to escalate its conquest in Ukraine.”  Rep. Scott Wiener takes questions from the media in San Francisco on Nov. 18, 2025. Yalonda M. James—Getty Images Rep. Delia C. Ramirez of Illinois [described](https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-ramirez-slams-trumps-war-crimes-venezuela-demands-congress-act) Maduro’s capture as a “kidnapping” and insisted the operation was “illegal” and amounted to “dangerous violations of international and U.S. law.” “Trump and his Administration are out of control because they believe they are untouchable. But they are not… Trump must be impeached,” said Ramirez, who called for the [War Powers Resolution](https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-ilhan-omar-cpc-leaders-introduce-war-powers-resolution-end-unauthorized), submitted by Rep. Ilhan Omar last September, to be passed. [The resolution](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/51/text), which calls “to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress,” was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs after its submission and is still awaiting a hearing. Rep. Dan Goldman of New York [accused Trump](https://goldman.house.gov/media/press-releases/representative-dan-goldmans-statement-president-trumps-actions-venezuela) of using the same “illegal and unconstitutional tactics as Maduro” in the operation, saying that such action “not only undermines our democracy and violates our Constitution but also emboldens dictators around the world.” “I believe President Trump’s true motivation is to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources as a favor to American oil executives who helped get him elected,” alleged Goldman, who referred to the operation as a “violation of the United States Constitution” that amounts to “an impeachable offense.” Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who is also co-chair of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, [said](https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=414082) that Trump had no authority “to bypass Congress to launch military strikes against a sovereign nation, while brazenly admitting that controlling Venezuela's oil is part of his motivation.” “Many Democrats have understandably questioned whether impeachment is possible again under the current political reality. I am reconsidering that view,” said Waters in reference to previous attempts to impeach Trump during his first term as President. In an email to TIME on Monday, the White House defended the Venezuela operation and accused Democrats of taking “twisted stands” in the wake of the military intervention. “At President Trump’s direction, the Administration lawfully executed a federal arrest warrant against Nicolás Maduro, which was issued by a federal judge for Maduro’s corrupt and criminal actions as a narcoterrorist trafficking illicit narcotics into the United States,” said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly. ## **When has Trump previously faced impeachment?** In December 2019, [Trump faced two articles of impeachment](https://time.com/5746997/articles-of-impeachment-donald-trump/) when he was [accused](https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hres755/BILLS-116hres755enr.pdf) of leveraging foreign assistance to Ukraine in order to coerce the country’s new Administration to investigate Joe Biden, who at the time was the former Vice President. The House of Representatives [voted](https://time.com/5751699/donald-trump-impeached/) mostly along party lines to impeach the President, sending the case to the Senate. Trump was ultimately [acquitted](https://time.com/5778572/donald-trump-acquitted-impeachment/) by the Senate in February 2020.  The Senate voted 57-43 to acquit on the fifth day of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 13, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Congress.gov—Getty Images A year later, the President was [impeached](https://time.com/5928988/donald-trump-impeached-second-time/) for a second time in a historic House vote. He was accused of provoking violent protesters to storm the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 riots. The Senate once again acquitted Trump, falling short of the 67 majority vote needed, with only [57 Senators](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1171/vote%5F117%5F1%5F00059.htm) voting in favor of the impeachment. ## Transcript This past weekend, colleagues United States successfully carried out a surgical law enforcement operation facilitated by the US military against two indicted fugitives of American justice, narco terrorist Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores. As Secretary, Rubio has said, there is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country. This was a law enforcement operation. Being. Jing. Fang. Xing. Jing. Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang. Foreign. Dünyanin olusosun siyasi ve uluslararasi bir elmi Taleb etmis. Venezuela. Hem Türkiye icin hem de Venezuela. Halki icin ici en dhorasoo NE se onu yapmak Indies. Sayin Maduro ve Venezuela Halki oldugunu pek cok güzel iki dost ilk olarak zor günleri bir de dayanisma icinde olmaya önem ve özcelik verdik. No, no veo riesgos con México en la relacion con Estados Unidos. Pues si hay una situacion especial, estamos viviendo desde el President Trump, pero vamos a buscar siempre el entendimiento manteniendo nuestros principios fermés. son formas de hablar del President Trump. Yo no creo en la invasion no ni siquiera si algo. Muy enserio. National law is really important. It's the framework. And it's for the US to set out its justifications for the actions that it's taken. But it is a complicated situation. Das der schönen und das ist der Selbstbestimmung der Venezuela und Venezuela kommen kann. Dann ist, dass wir das noch eine gute Entwicklung und so betrachten wir das aber wir wegen der Frage nicht aus das hier selbstverstandlich auch immer die Frage des internationalen Rechts im Raum steht und wir werden in dieser Frage mitte sicherheit auch weiter zu führen. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/"},"headline":"Calls for Trump's Impeachment Gain Momentum Amid Fallout Over Venezuela Operation","datePublished":"2026-01-06T13:42:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:43:03.755Z","description":"Many Democrat lawmakers have labeled Trump’s actions in Venezuela an “impeachable” matter.","url":"https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/","keywords":["Donald Trump","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c615e07722c2a1/6998cca266d4e372b0cbd22b/GettyImages-2254194605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Callum Sutherland","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf7c615e07722c2a1/6998cca266d4e372b0cbd22b/GettyImages-2254194605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing","caption":"Nicolas Maduro Transported To Court Hearing","creditText":"GC Images—2026 XNY/Star Max","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7343574/trump-impeachment-calls-gather-pace-venezuela-fallout/","name":"Calls for Trump's Impeachment Gain Momentum Amid Fallout Over Venezuela Operation"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How the World Is Reacting to the U.S. Capture of Nicolas Maduro [VERTICAL] \"","description":"World leaders reacted to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States with a mixture of outrage, concern, and caution on Saturday. 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