Democratic senator confronted on argument the party 'looks weak' in criticizing Trump's handling of Maduro
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was confronted during an interview on Monday over criticism from his own party over its response to President Donald Trump's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was confronted on Monday on a report citing anonymous Democratic lawmakers who took issue with the party's lack of nuance with regard to President Donald Trump's strikes against Venezuela and the capturing of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
One House Democrat complained in comments to Axios on Monday that "[n]uance is dead in politics."
"Maduro is bad, glad he is gone... You can't have it both ways," the lawmaker told Axios, complaining the Democratic base holds the belief that everything Trump touches is bad. Another told the outlet, "I wish the Democratic Party would be a little bit more measured on this."
CNN's John Berman asked Van Hollen, "What do you think of this criticism apparently coming from a Democrat?"
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) questions U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during a subcommittee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on December 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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"I wish they would come out, you know, on the record. We can have a healthy debate. I think the American people, whether they agree with you or disagree with you, they want to know where you stand. And so those Democrats really should come out and on the record. Let’s have a debate. This is not a win for the American people, running Venezuela and talking about putting American lives at risk to go into Colombia or Cuba or wherever it may be, is not in our interests," he said.
Van Hollen pointed to Marjorie Taylor Greene's criticism of Trump's actions in Venezuela. Greene called out Trump on Sunday and said he should be focused on domestic policy.
"I mean, Donald Trump has been talking about putting a health care plan on the table for over 15 years. He hasn‘t done so. Instead, what he’s doing is going after foreign leaders, cozying up to some, going after others. We should be focused on these issues here at home," Van Hollen added.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro gives a state of the nation address at the National Assembly, in Caracas, Venezuela January 12, 2023. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
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Another centrist Democrat in the House said the party's general response to the strikes and Maduro capture made them look "weak," according to Axios.
"If you don't acknowledge when there is a win for our country, then you lose all credibility," the lawmaker told the outlet.
Democrats also spoke to Axios about the party's criticism of the country's fraudulent elections in 2024, when Maduro claimed victory and refused to publish the results.
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Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., center, accompanied by Cesar Abrego Garcia, from left, Cecilia Garcia and Jennifer Vasquez Sura, speaks during a news conference upon his arrival from meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va., April 18, 2025. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)
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"What happened to when they had the election and Maduro stole the election? There were Democrats condemning that," a House Democrat told the outlet.
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