President Trump on Thursday named five Republican senators who should “never be elected to office again.” “Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again. This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” Trump said. “In any event, and despite their ‘stupidity,’ the War Powers Act is Unconstitutional, totally violating Article II of the Constitution, as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me. Nevertheless, a more important Senate Vote will be taking place next week on this very subject,” he continued. Full post: CBS News shared further: The Senate voted 52 to 47 to advance Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia’s resolution under the War Powers Act earlier Thursday, less than a week after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Kaine’s measure would require “the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.” The GOP senators who voted with Democrats to advance the measure were Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Mr. Trump’s rebuke of Hawley is particularly striking, given the Missouri senator’s history of staunch support for the administration’s agenda in most other areas. Hawley was reelected to a second term in the Senate in 2024. There are still several steps before a vote on final passage of the Senate measure. Even if it makes it through the chamber, it would still have to clear the House, where few Republicans have shown a willingness so far to buck Mr. Trump on the issue. Two previous attempts to limit the president’s authority last year amid strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats failed to earn enough GOP support to advance. But Mr. Trump’s comments about having the U.S. “run” Venezuela and the concern that U.S. forces could be deployed there tipped the scales against him in the latest vote. “Instead of responding to Americans’ concerns about the affordability crisis, President Trump started a war with Venezuela that is profoundly disrespectful to U.S. troops, deeply unpopular, suspiciously secretive and likely corrupt. How is that ‘America First?’” Kaine said, according to NBC News. “Trump’s war is also clearly illegal because this military action was ordered without the congressional authorization the Constitution requires,” he continued. “Our founder’s intent is not a close call open to equivocation. Pundits argue that presidents have been ignoring this restriction for many decades. That is not an argument but more of an excuse. The Constitution is clear—only Congress can declare war,” Paul said. Watch his speech on the Senate floor: “Our founder's intent is not a close call open to equivocation.  Pundits argue that presidents have been ignoring this restriction for many decades.  That is not an argument but more of an excuse. The Constitution is clear—only Congress can declare war.” Check out the full floor… pic.twitter.com/hdWpsui8ZY — Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) January 7, 2026 NBC News has more: Paul said some members of Congress want to “shift the burden of initiating war to the president” rather than take responsibility. “But make no mistake, bombing another nation’s capital and removing their leader is an act of war, plain and simple,” the Kentucky Republican said. “No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency.” The vote represents an early test of Republicans’ appetite to slap limits on Trump’s power to use military force after his capture of Maduro. Trump has suggested he is open to U.S. boots on the ground there and also threatened Iran, Greenland and Colombia on Sunday, adding that Cuba “is ready to fall.” “I believe invoking the War Powers Act at this moment is necessary, given the President’s comments about the possibility of ‘boots on the ground’ and a sustained engagement ‘running’ Venezuela, with which I do not agree,” Collins said in a statement. Murkowski said Congress must “affirm our role under Article 1.” Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., urged senators to reject the war powers measure, calling the U.S. military capture of Maduro a law enforcement operation. “It does not make America stronger. It makes America weaker and less safe,” Barrasso said in a written statement. “It would weaken the President’s legitimate, constitutional authority. This body, the United States Senate, is being asked whether the President of the United States has the authority to arrest indicted criminals. Of course he does.”