'Treason' Accusations
Trump described a video of Democratic lawmakers urging troops to disobey unlawful orders as "seditious behavior, punishable by death." Facing bipartisan backlash, the president doubled down, renewing calls for their arrests.
"Everybody knows that the president is famous for his unfiltered social media, but if you take it at face value, the idea that calling your opponents traitors and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty is reckless, inappropriate, and irresponsible," the Kentucky senator told CBS News. "There are a number of other ways to describe it, but it's not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up and really, I think, we can do better."
The lawmakers targeted by Trump have issued a statement saying they will “not be intimidated.”
Venezuela Buildup
The Trump administration is designating Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his government supporters as members of a foreign terrorist organization. It's doing so as the U.S. military has amassed more than a dozen warships in the region and continues to carry out deadly strikes on boats it claims are drug-trafficking vessels.
I've been given zero, not one briefing, because I'm skeptical of what they're doing.Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
"I think by doing this they're pretending as if we are at war. They're pretending as if they've gotten some imprimatur to do what they want. When you have war, the rules of engagement have lessened," the Republican lawmaker said.
As for official updates, Paul — who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — said he's being shut out of briefings, to the extent there are any.
"I've been given zero, not one briefing, because I'm skeptical of what they're doing. They don't brief me or the general Senate at all," he said. "A few hand-selected people may have gotten a briefing, but I have not been invited to any briefings on Venezuela."
The administration's rationale is that it's seeking to cut off the flow of illegal migrants and drugs, and defense leaders say nothing is off the table.