Reed Statement on Trump Declaring Armed Conflict in the Caribbean

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Trump ordered the U.S. military to conduct a lethal strike on a boat in the Caribbean for the fourth time in a month, bringing the total number of individuals killed to 21. This follows his unilateral declaration that the United States is in an "armed conflict" with unnamed "non-state armed groups" in Central and South America, and his deployment of thousands of U.S. forces, ships, and aircraft to fight them - without Congressional authorization.

In response, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

"Every American should be alarmed that the President believes he can wage secret wars against anyone he chooses. Congress alone has the constitutional power to decide when America goes to war. The President cannot launch military campaigns and invent legal cover after the fact.

"Let's be clear: Drug cartels are reprehensible and have caused immense suffering in our communities. U.S. law enforcement must be fully equipped and resourced to dismantle them.

"But the Trump Administration has offered no credible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these Caribbean strikes. By the President's own words, the U.S. military is in armed conflict with undefined enemies he labels 'unlawful combatants,' while deploying thousands of troops and ships, all without informing Congress or the public.

"President Trump's declaration of 'armed conflict' is a dangerous overreach of executive power. If one man alone decides when and where America fights, we abandon the checks and balances that safeguard our democracy.

"For decades, Republicans and Democrats alike have rightly criticized presidents for engaging in armed conflicts without Congressional approval. The Administration must immediately testify before Congress and the American people about this reckless campaign."

In September, Senator Reed spoke on the Senate floor to discuss the illegality of the ongoing operation. A transcript of his remarks is available here.

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