'We're just gonna kill them': Trump says won't seek Congress nod before striking Venezuela; Maduro pleads 'No crazy war, please!'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a blunt comment on US plans to strike drug smugglers in Venezuela, saying, "we're just gonna kill." Talking to reporters, Trump revealed that he was not planning to ask Congress for a declaration of war before ordering strikes on suspected drug smugglers in Venezuela. His shocking statement comes as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched a plea the same day, urging America, "No crazy war, please!"

What did Trump say?

In a statement that electrified his supporters and alarmed critics across the political spectrum, Trump has suggested his administration would brief lawmakers but saw no need to request formal congressional authorization. "I don’t think we’re gonna necessarily ask for a declaration of war," he said. "I think we’re just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re gonna to kill them. They’re going to be, like, dead."

The remarks prompted immediate backlash from constitutional conservatives and Democrats alike. Former Republican congressman Justin Amash slammed the president on X, insisting the Constitution vests the power to declare war in Congress and not the POTUS. "The Constitution doesn’t permit a president to act as the legislature and judiciary on top of being the chief executive," he stated. "If it’s war, he must go to Congress. If it’s crime, he must go to court. When there’s no imminent danger, there’s no justification for unilateral strikes," Amash wrote on X.

Senator Adam Schiff — who recently joined lawmakers in proposing a war powers resolution aimed at blocking military strikes against Venezuela — urged Trump to bring the matter to Congress, noting, "The president should come to Congress. Legally, he is required to come to Congress. Though he may not get the answer he expects. Americans don’t want another war."

Trump’s comments come amid a wider US campaign of naval and air strikes, the administration says targets narcotics trafficking; an AFP tally based on US figures puts the death toll from these operations at least in the dozens. The White House has also acknowledged covert CIA activity against Venezuela, and Trump said he is weighing strikes on land as well.

No crazy war, please: Venezuela

In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro pleaded for calm. "No crazy war, please!" he said in an English-language appeal, as Venezuela mounted military exercises and accused Washington of plotting regime change. Venezuelan defense officials warned of a forceful response to any direct intervention.

Legal experts meanwhile have raised questions about the lawfulness of using lethal force in international waters against suspects who have not been detained or tried.