Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday sharply criticized Donald Trump for his unilateral decision to bomb a suspected drug vessel from Venezuela Tuesday — and reminded the president that such actions could set a dangerous precedent.
“It’s hard to have any sympathy for drug dealers trying to import product into our country,” the Republican lawmaker told Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt. “But at the same time, I guess, you might ask the question, ‘Where does it end? Are we the world’s policemen?’”
“We all assume these people were bad people and drug dealers, but if they were caught off the coast of Miami, we would stop the boat. If they don’t shoot at us, we don’t shoot at them,” Paul explained Wednesday. “They’re confiscated; they’re put in jail.”
Trump announced the strike himself Tuesday and claimed on social media that the eliminated targets had been “positively identified” as members of the Venezuelan drug cartel Tren de Aragua. He even shared footage of what appeared to be the explosion, which killed 11 people.
Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has been vocal about protecting civil liberties, not only criticized Trump’s decision — but said the U.S. no longer has “the finances to be the world’s policemen.”
