Sen. Rand Paul speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2026. Paul said U.S. actions in Venezuela amount to war as the Senate prepares to debate a War Powers Resolution. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
"There is no question about the evils that were perpetrated on the people of Venezuela," Paul said. "But this is a question about the prerogatives of power."
Paul made the comments as the Senate is set to debate a war powers resolution on Wednesday. The resolution is grounded in the War Powers Act, a 1973 law designed to limit a president’s ability to deploy U.S. forces without congressional approval.
"The reason for this is they were concerned about the perpetual wars of Europe," Paul said of the Founding Fathers. "They didn’t want so much power to reside in the hands of one person. And so they actually took that power and said the initiation of war should begin in Congress."
JOHNSON INSISTS US 'NOT AT WAR' AFTER CLOSED-DOOR VENEZUELA BRIEFING DIVIDES LAWMAKERS
Government supporters demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores from U.S. custody in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday. (AP)
Paul said Trump’s opposition to regime change was a major reason he previously supported the president.
"It’s one of the things that’s always brought me back to my support for Donald Trump," Paul said. "There’s at least a dozen, two dozen videos of the president campaigning saying he wasn’t for regime change."
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The war powers resolution is expected to be debated on the Senate floor Wednesday, with a vote likely Thursday.
"We’re going to debate it on the floor tomorrow, and the vote will probably be on Thursday," Paul said. "And I think it’s one of the most important things that we do debate in Congress — when do we initiate war, and who has the power to initiate war?"
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rand-paul-breaks-with-trump-on-venezuela-calls-action-war-as-senate-prepares-constitutional-showdown