The President of the United States just overthrew a foreign ruler and explained to the American people that this is about taking control of the oil reserves of a foreign nation. He said that the U.S. will “run the country” until a proper transition can take place and went right into how US oil companies will benefit from this takeover. He doesn’t understand the risks and costs involved with these poorly thought-out decisions that don’t make Americans any safer today than they were yesterday. Nicolas Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator who deserves to face justice. I want the people of Venezuela to be free to choose their own future, but if we learned anything from the Iraq war, it’s that dropping bombs or toppling a leader doesn’t guarantee democracy, stability or make Americans safer. More often, it leads to chaos or drags the US into a war and lengthy occupation. I don’t trust that this administration has a plan, timeline, or price tag for what comes next. Over the past year, Trump’s foreign policy has been reckless, chaotic, self-serving, and unconstitutional. Congress should vote this week to reassert its authority on behalf of the American people before he oversteps again.  I also want to recognize the professionalism and skill of the American service members involved in this operation. While I don’t agree with the administration’s justification for this, I’m thankful that no service members were killed or seriously injured.