Trump Allegedly Purposely Skipped Congressional Notifications Before Capturing Venezuelan Leader

By Solange Reyner | Saturday, 03 January 2026 06:41 PM EST
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., stated on Saturday that he agrees with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding Congress’s serious leak issue, while emphasizing constitutional and legal safeguards remain critical.

Trump indicated on Saturday that he had purposefully skipped informing members of Congress prior to the U.S. special forces capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, stating, “Congress has a tendency to leak.”

Speaking on “The Count,” Harrigan bluntly noted that certain lawmakers cannot be trusted with sensitive information.

“I actually agree with the president,” Harrigan said. “I do think that Congress has a leaking problem. There are members of Congress who have in the past and would certainly leak if given the opportunity for their 15 seconds of fame or for a purpose and cause that’s different than the purpose and cause of freedom that we have here in America.”

Harrigan framed the issue as more than political finger pointing, arguing that leaks can jeopardize lives, national security, and critical operations. He stated that the temptation to gain media attention or advance personal agendas has repeatedly undermined trust between Congress and the executive branch.

At the same time, Harrigan emphasized that concerns about leaks do not negate constitutional or federal law. He noted that when a law enforcement operation involves military elements—particularly those tasked with securing ground forces—specific notification requirements must be followed under Title 50 of U.S. law.

“That’s all handled under Title 50,” Harrigan explained, referring to the section governing intelligence activities. “Title 50 does require at least the Gang of Eight being notified prior to the actual covert action.”

Trump did not inform the Gang of Eight—the top Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate and House and chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees—until after the operation began.

Harrigan acknowledged the administration’s frustration, particularly given recent operations’ sensitivity. “The administration has got to clean that up,” he said. “But overall, look, we’re talking about a procedure here. We are talking about the law. We want to be reverential of that.”

Harrigan added that both Trump and Rubio are right to highlight the leak problem but cautioned against blaming them: “I would hesitate to say that I blame them if I was in their position, given the significance of this operation.” He concluded, “We’ve got to figure that out as a country.”