Trump and Rubio Defend Administration’s Decision to Skip Congressional Briefing Ahead of Venezuela Strike

By James Morley III | Saturday, 03 January 2026 02:44 PM EST

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the administration’s decision not to brief senior congressional leaders ahead of a U.S. strike in Venezuela, arguing that advance notice would have jeopardized the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking Saturday at a press conference, Rubio said the mission was “trigger-based,” unfolding only when specific conditions were met after days of monitoring. He added it was not the type of operation that allowed for advance congressional notification and emphasized the action was fundamentally a law-enforcement mission—the arrest of “two indicted fugitives of American justice”—with military support from the Department of Justice.

Rubio acknowledged broader policy implications but maintained that pre-notification would have endangered U.S. forces and the success of the mission. Trump echoed those concerns, bluntly stating Congress has “a tendency to leak,” which he said could have produced “a very different result.”

The comments followed reports that multiple sources indicated the so-called “Gang of Eight”—the top Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress and chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees—were not briefed before the operation began. Such leaders are typically notified of highly sensitive national security actions.

Trump also noted Venezuelan forces were aware U.S. action was possible, citing the visible presence of U.S. ships in the region, but insisted limiting advance disclosure was necessary to protect the mission and U.S. personnel.

James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.