Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said Thursday that Congress should be kept informed of the Trump administration's deadly strikes on Venezuelan vessels that the White House says are trafficking drugs.
"The administration needs to give insight into Congress. That's part of it."
"If this was happening with this level of insight under the Biden administration, I'd be apoplectic," Lankford said on C-SPAN's "Ceasefire."
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who appeared with Lankford, said he learned about the attacks from the press.
Lankford said a briefing with Congress on what's going on is necessary.
"I serve on the [Senate] Intelligence Committee. He [Coons] serves as a senior Democrat on defense."
"This is typical consultation," Lankford said.
"It's not permission, but it is, Hey, I want to let you know this is happening and hear the details of what's happening, and here's why and what, and here's what we know," Lankford continued.
Trump told reporters this week that his administration is "no longer tolerating the poison flooding our communities" and promised that traffickers "will be wiped from the face of the earth."
On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed that a second U.S. carrier strike group will deploy to the Caribbean. The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts will join naval forces already conducting missions along known smuggling routes linked to Venezuela.
Lankford said he has seen the damage drugs have done to his state.
"I have Oklahomans that are dying from methamphetamine, from cocaine, from fentanyl, and from different drugs that are laced with fentanyl on it and mixing it in. That's happening in my state as it's happening all around the country," Lankford said.
"The president has turned the volume up to 11 and said, No, we're going to stop drugs coming into our country that are killing folks," he continued. "Those are entirely appropriate to do.
"What we're missing is the communication, the coordination, and the ability to be able to say, Let's talk out loud about this. We're not his opponent on this.
"We're an ally in this to be able to solve it, but we need to be able to have a voice on it as a co-equal branch."
Trump said he will brief Congress next week but insisted that he does not need a declaration of war.
"We're already in one," he said. "This is a fight for the survival of our country."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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