Trump Puts Political Hit On 5 Republican Senators Who Defied Him — One Isn’t Like The Others

President Donald Trump called for a group of Republicans to lose their reelection bids Thursday after they voted to check his authority to use military force on Venezuela.

Frequent Trump critics — Republicans Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — were among the group of five Republicans who Trump excoriated for voting to block future military action absent congressional approval. Republican Indiana Sen. Todd Young, who did not back Trump in 2024, also supported the measure. Trump also notably lashed out at Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a close populist ally who stunningly broke with the president during Thursday’s vote.

“This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the five dissenting Republicans should be “ashamed” of their votes and “should never be elected to office again.” . . .

Hawley, a leading populist in the Senate who frequently breaks with traditional Republican orthodoxy on economic issues, said his vote in support of the war powers resolution should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the president.

The Missouri Republican said he voted to check the president’s authority over concerns Trump could send troops to Venezuela. He previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation in November that he opposed U.S. government-backed regime change and feared getting drawn into a costly foreign war.

“With regard to Venezuela, my read of the Constitution is that if the President feels the need to put boots on the ground there in the future, Congress would need to vote on it,” Hawley wrote on X following the vote.

The lawmaker told reporters that he had no reaction to the president calling for an end to his political career. (Read more from “Trump Puts Political Hit On 5 Republican Senators Who Defied Him — One Isn’t Like The Others” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr